By Gastronomistas

They say if you haven’t truly experienced the magic of Christmas until you’ve been to Nuremberg. All the streets decked out in festive lights and decorations while carols ring out to the delight of old and young alike, creating a magical atmosphere imbued with the very essence of Christmas Eve.

From 29 November through to 24 December, the whole city becomes one huge Christmas celebration and a “picturesque village of fabric and wood” appears as if by magic in the heart of the city’s old quarter; the Christkindlesmarkt, one of Europe’s oldest and most renowned street markets.

More than 180 stalls adorned with candles, decorations and winter plants tempt visitors with their toys, local crafts, nativity scenes, Christmas ornaments and, above all, delicious sweets and wholesome culinary delights. The air is filled with an enticing mixture of aromas, from spices and wine through to toffee, nuts and savoury treats. Absolutely EVERYTHING is a temptation for the senses. What are the best things to try while strolling around the Christkindlesmarkt?

MULLED WINE
What better to ward off the crisp cold of Nuremberg than a mug of mulled wine. This hearty drink made with cinnamon, cloves and fruit peel is served in ceramic mugs that visitors can take home with them as a souvenir from the Christkindlesmarkt. They even do a non-alcoholic mulled wine for the kids to try.

FEUERZANGENBOWLE
This famous punch is named after the sugar tongs used in its concoction. To make Feuerzangenbowle, dry red wine is slowly heated in a large punch bowl, along with rum, caramelised sugar, cloves, cinnamon, slices of lemon and orange juice.

BRATWURST
“It is one of the reasons why you never forget Nuremberg”, wrote the poet Jean-Paul (maybe while suffering writer’s block), in reference to the sausages par excellence originating from this Bavarian city: bratwurst. They are on sale all around the city at stalls equipped with giant barbecues, so you’re bound to gobble up more than one during your stay. They are served in a bread roll, garnished with sauerkraut or potato salad, or even as a three-in-one known as a “weggla”. To make sure you only get the real McCoy, it’s worth knowing that an authentic bratwurst from Nuremberg is between seven and nine centimetres long, no more and no less.

NUREMBERG LEBKUCHEN
No Christmas is complete without some famous lebkuchen: a biscuit made from nuts, honey and spices covered in chocolate or icing. The recipe has been a closely-guarded secret in Nuremberg for over 600 years and has even been given a protected designation of origin. It’s easy to spot the market stalls selling lebkuchen as nearly all of them look like the witch’s candy cottage from Hansel and Gretel.

And there are many other food stalls selling a wide range of mouth-watering treats, such as candied fruit, all kinds of sweets, caramelised almonds, chocolates, waffles and sauerkraut. But be warned! After indulging yourself in beautiful Nuremberg, you may need to go on a diet for a few days.

CHRISTKINDLESMARKT
From the Friday before the first Sunday of Advent through to 24 December.

Where: in Nuremberg’s main market square (Hauptmarkt) and surrounding area.

Opening times:
Monday to Wednesday: 9am to 8pm.
Wednesday to Saturday: 9am to 9pm.
Sunday: 10.30am to 8pm.

By Gastronomistas

We’ll be there. If you want to come too, check out our flights here.

Everyone is aware that Halloween is now a global festivity celebrated all over the world. So, if you’re a die-hard, why not see for yourself just how they stage it on the spot in various parts of the world? For instance, in London, a city enthralled with Witches Night.

At some stage you must have spent a date like New Year’s Eve, Carnival or Christmas abroad. It is a common practice among seasoned travellers to get away from their home country whenever they can for those hallowed days. But, those are not the only special events that prompt people to fly off to other lands. If there is any special day that has become hugely popular in recent times it is Halloween, which is held in considerable esteem by English-speaking nations and has, happily, been exported elsewhere, too.

One of the paramount cities when it comes to celebrating that night, particularly in the guise of horror movies, macabre events, the supernatural and, of course, pumpkins is London. It is one of the European cities with the greatest accretion and tradition of horror stories and legends, making it a must-visit venue for Halloween devotees the world over. The City has a generous lineup of activities for this, the most terrifying festivity in the year. We have chosen five of them for your delectation, if you happen to be flying to London for 31 October.

Abney Park Cemetery

With such a long history, a large city like London is bound to have numerous, centuries-old cemeteries with priceless architectural charm which are a tourist draw in themselves. One of the most spectacular graveyards is Abney Park, on the outskirts of the city near the Stoke Newington tube stop. Strolling along its paths between gravestones and age-old tombs overgrown with vegetation, you feel like you’ve stepped into a story by Edgar Allan Poe or H. P. Lovecraft.

Haunted Tattoo

After a walk through Abney Park, go down to Holloway Road (a street known for its cultural offerings and a haven for a large art community) and drop in on Haunted Tattoo. Over and above drawings etched into the skin, this tattoo studio stands out as a small museum featuring all kinds of objects relating to horror movies, literature, comics and illustration. Making no concession to horror vacui, the premises will leave you open-mouthed. Fear not – knock on the door, even if you don’t plan to have a tattoo done.

Jack The Ripper and the Whitechapel District

A dream plan for any Halloween enthusiast. If you’re ever in London for Halloween, make a point of trying the sightseeing route that follows the life and exploits of this notorious first serial killer of modern times. You can set up your own tour on the Internet but, if you prefer to have it laid on, you could opt for The Jack The Ripper Tour, highly rated and recommended by users.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Prince Charles

Once you’ve completed the previous three tasks, the ideal way of opening the Witches Day evening is by attending one of the best horror musicals in cinema history – The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Located in Leicester Place, near the heart of the City, the Prince Charles Cinema is one of the most unusual in London with its policy of re-screening film classics. And, needless to say, for Halloween they have lined up a special screening at which – take note – you can sing along with the stars of the movie, as this is a sing-along session – What a treat!

John Carpenter at the Troxy

The icing on the cake for these splendid Halloween dates are the two live performances by John Carpenter in London on 31 October and 1 November. A legend of horror movies, and also known for having composed the soundtracks of his films, Carpenter will be giving two concerts featuring soundtracks from such movies as The Fog, They Live and Assault on Precinct 13, as well as new songs from his studio recordings. You can enjoy these performances in style, in one of London’s iconic cinemas, the Troxy, in the Commercial Road area near the Limehouse tube stop.

Liven up your horror Halloween in London – book your Vueling here.

Text by Xavi Sánchez for Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Images by DAVID HOLT, James Nash, Tarquin Binary , Holloway Life, Alexander Baxevanis, Matt From London

There is one night in the year inevitably associated with witches, horror stories, pumpkins, bonfires and disguises and that it is 31 October, the eve of All Saints. One of the many traditions alive in Spain is the stage performance of Don Juan Tenorio, by the poet, José Zorrilla. The ritual has been performed continuously ever since it made its debut around 1844. While at first glance a romantic drama might seem out of place on a night more suited to The Munsters, there is a reason for it – much of the second act in the play takes place in a cemetery, and many of the protagonists are dead souls who come alive and interact with the lead figure. Chilling, isn’t it?

Don Juan Tenorio’s Seville

Having solved the first mystery, a second issue arises. What connection is there between one of the most popular Juanes in literature and the city of Seville? First, it was here in Seville that José Zorrilla wrote his stage play and where the story is set. Granted, Zorrilla was actually inspired by Tirso de Molina’s The Trickster of Seville and the Stone Guest, written in 1630, which is where the myth of Don Juan stems from. The work ended up seducing such artists as Molière, Mozart, Lord Byron and Espronceda, among others.

A different, entertaining way of touring Seville is to stroll along its streets in search of possible sites featured in that drama, and the spots where tributes to the work are located. Here are some of them:

The Hostería del Laurel (Plaza Venerables 5) is located in the heart of Santa Cruz, one of the most popular districts in Seville. This former boarding house is where José Zorrilla lodged when he wrote Don Juan Tenorio. This, the birthplace of the literary classic, also acted as a source of inspiration for some scenes. Despite the passage of time, it is still worth venturing inside, where some of its historical essence has survived intact.

A few yards from the Hostería del Laurel lies the Plaza de la Alianza, site of the home of Doña Ana de Pantoja, the future wife of Don Luis Mejía, who rivalled Don Juan Tenorio when it came to causing mischief. There is actually a scene in this square where Don Juan tries to wrest his beloved from the grasp of Don Luis.

It is more difficult to find the convent where Doña Inés – one of the main characters in this romantic drama – was confined. The convent belonged to the Order of Calatrava, which is why the habits she wears bear the emblematic red cross of Calatrava. Indeed, a convent once stood in the Calle de Calatrava, which was re-christened thus in honour of the literary work. Following the disentailment it was subsequently demolished, the sole surviving vestige being a chapel which was eventually turned into a warehouse. Easier to locate is the Plaza de Santa Marta, which everyone agrees was the spot where Doña Inés was abducted by our hero.

Still in the beautiful Santa Cruz quarter, we find the Plaza de Doña Elvira, site of the home of Don Gonzalo de Ulloa, the father of Doña Inés, who was staunchly against her alliance with Don Juan.

Concerning the location of Don Juan Tenorio’s house, literary sources cite it as being on the banks of the river Guadalquivir, where he ended up fleeing, although the exact spot is unknown. There is also the real site because, if you’ve done some reading on the subject, the Tenorio family actually existed and tradition places them in the Convent of San Leandro, situated in the square of the same name.

The scene of the final duel, in which Captain Centella kills Don Juan Tenorio, takes place in the present-day Calle Génova, now re-christened the Avenida de la Constitución.

To wind up this tour commemorating the literary classic, you can visit the Plaza de los Refinadores where a statue to Don Juan Tenorio, sculpted by Nicomedes Díaz Piquero, was erected in 1975.

By the way – if you’re in Seville any weekend from 31 October to 15 November, we recommend visiting the San Fernando Cemeterywhere Engranajes Culturales is staging a dramatised visit and performance of the third act of Don Juan Tenorio.

Ready to be a Don Juan in Seville? Secure your Vueling ticket here.

Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Images by Víctor Fernández Salinas, Consuelo Ternero, Sandra Vallaure

The Ribera del Duero is renowned for being one of Spain’s leading winemaking regions. Sited along the banks of the river Duero, it covers an area of 115 km long by 35 km wide, distributed between the provinces of Soria, Burgos, Segovia and Valladolid. The landscape is characterised by vast swathes of vineyards stretching along the Duero riverbanks, dotted with wine cellars at certain intervals. For wine connoisseurs, moving about this region means revisiting the source of familiar tastes and aromas which they will have encountered at wine-tastings, romantic evenings or festivities. For the novice, it is a unique opportunity to make a triumphal entry into the complex world of nuances. Here are some details on the essential things to do in this region:

1. An Appetiser – Aranda de Duero and its Underground Cellars

Located in the heart of the region, Aranda de Duero is one of the main towns in the Ribera del Duero. Hidden in the basements of the old town is what is known as the bodega de Las Ánimas, no less than 7 kilometres of tunnels and galleries that were excavated between the 13th and 18th century to harness the constant humidity and temperature values (11–13°C) for wine-making. A tour of this cellar can be rounded off by a visit to the Centro de Interpretación de la Arquitectura del Vino (CIAVIN), which highlights how Aranda de Duero and the Ribera del Duero are closely related to wine.

2. Between Glasses of Wine

Let’s cut to the quick –the time has come to meet the makers of “the elixir of Bacchus”. Amid the vast, never-ending array of wine cellars, the best thing is to make a selection of what we’re most interested in, from mere curiosity, through entertainment, to seeking out a particular flavour. In recent times, some wine merchants have elected to revamp their corporate image, as evinced in the design of their buildings. It is therefore rewarding to view the results of applying the latest trends in architecture to their wineries. A case in point is the Bodegas Portia, the work of Norman Foster, Protos, designed by Richard Rogers, along with Alonso Balaguer and Arquitectos Asociados, and the Cepa 21, Pagos del Rey and Legaris wineries.

For those hankering after new sensations, the Matarromera Group, among a wealth of other enotouristic experiences, offer visitors the chance to take on the role of a viniculturist and make their own wine. Exciting, don’t you think?

If you happen to be here during the wine harvest (October–November), some wineries allow you to take part in them, as with the Condado de Haza winery, which hosts a Jornada de Vendimia. But, remember, in all instances you have to book ahead – don’t forget it!

3. Eating Lechazo

The star dish in the Ribera del Duero is lechazo (suckling lamb), roasted over a wood fire after being marinated in a good local wine. We can recommend the Molino de Palacios which, as its name indicates, is located in a windmill in Peñafiel. In autumn they hold a “Game and Field Mushroom Day”. Another pleasant grill-house is the Lagar de Isilla, in Aranda de Duero.

4. A Tour of Peñafiel Castle

Halfway between Valladolid and Aranda de Duero lies the magnificent town of Peñafiel with its striking, walled castle, set atop a hill, dating back to the 10th century. Declared a national monument in 1917, it now houses the Provincial Wine Museum, which promotes the province of Valladolid through the world of wine. Don’t miss out on the stunning views of the valley!

5. Let’s Join the Fiesta!

One of the many summer fiestas which take place in mid-August is Sonorama Ribera, a festival which proves that domestic and international pop and rock marry well with the region’s wine culture. In addition to a wealth of music, the festival programme includes wine tastings, wine cellar breakfasts and more.

6. Wine Therapy?

After all this hustle and bustle, take a well-earned rest and try the treatment offered by the Lavida spa hotel in which the benefits of wine are applied to skin care.

Don’t miss the chance to discover this land of wines – book your fare now!

Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Photos by Ruta del Vino Ribera del Duero