The English discovered Pau in the mid-19th century, fell in love with its mild climate and turned it into one of their favourite summer resorts. This is borne out by the well preserved oldest golf course in Europe outside the United Kingdom. The capital of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques Département, well known as a city of art and history, offers visitors generous helpings of history, cuisine and fine wine, in addition to an adrenalin rush in the watersports available to all-comers at the Pau-Pyrénées Whitewater Stadium.

Pau – A City with History

The historic centre of Pau is distributed around its castle, the birthplace of Henry IV of France (and III of Navarre), known as "Good King Henry", France’s first king of the Bourbon dynasty. The hallmark of this castle is its architectural diversity and, like all national museums in France, admission is free every first Sunday of the month. Opposite the castle stands the Parliament of Navarre, set up in the mid-17th century after the edict of unification between France and the historical region of Bearn. It is now the seat of the General Council of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques.

The old town features a number of interesting sights, including such emblematic buildings as the Church of Saint-Martin and the Maison Sully, a 17th-century mansion. Touching its doorknocker is said to bring good luck, so you are advised to go through this ritual before leaving the city, just in case.

The Boulevard des Pyrénées – A Balcony Overlooking Nature

One of the landmark spots in Pau is the Boulevard des Pyrénées, designed as a replica of the Promenade des Anglais in Nice. It connects the castle to the Beaumont Palace and affords beautiful views of the mountain range separating France and Spain. A pastime very much in vogue among locals and, by extension, among many visitors too, is to sit at one of the terrace cafés and soak up the fabulous mountain views.

Several museums are open to sightseers in Pau, notably the Bernadotte House, the birthplace of Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, a French general who ascended to the throne of Sweden, and the Fine Arts Museum, which houses a collection of paintings by Victor Galos, as well as works by local artists and even Degas and Rubens.

Cuisine and Sports in Pau

Pyrenean cuisine, with its standout local sausage and tasty cheeses, is another of the major attractions in the capital of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques. One highly popular dish is poule au pot (casseroled chicken), an icon of traditional Bearnese cuisine. Prominent among local wines is Jurançon, which comes in two flavours – dry and sweet. Lastly, to burn up the calories ingested, watersports come highly recommended, notably rafting and hydrospeed. And, they can both be done at the nearby white-water stadium which in 2017 will be hosting the Canoe World Championships.

Be sure to visit this beautiful city – book your flight here.

Text and images by Tus Destinos

Images by Jean Jacques BROCHARD, Alban GILBERT

With a deeply tradition of music, Leipzig has been home to the renowned musicians and composers from all times, for the likes of Johan Sebastian Bach, Richard Wagner, Schumann or Mendelssohn. Music and culture is in every corner of the city, in the habitual concerts in Augustusplatz or in the different music festivals of every music style that the city offers.

Also known as Heldenstadt (City of Heroes), Leipzig was crucible for the revolution against the communist dictatorship in Eastern Germany, in a non-violent revolution that was called Friedliche Revolution and that ended up with the fall of the Wall in Berlin in 1989. 

Baroque, neoclassical and modernist architecture blends with the buildings of the Soviet-era in Leipzig and there are many shops, restaurants, cafés and clubs in the city center. 

A place that shows how the city is constantly culturally evolving is Spinnerei, (http://www.spinnerei.de/ , Spinnereistraße 7 ), an old cotton spinning mill in the district of Lindenau that is now a big factory for culture diffusion where talent and art from the artists of the so-called “New School Of Leipzig”. You can visit workshops, exhibition gallerys and Art shops, asist the cinema forums and eat at their restaurants. 

If you are interested in the History of Music in Leipzig you have plenty of museums and interesting places to visit 

Museum of Musical Instruments
You will enjoy of one of the most important collections in the world and discover a good perspective of the History of Music of the city

Bach's Museum
You will discover Bach, the main artist in baroque german musical style everywhere in the city. Especially in this museum which opened in 2010. An interactive exhibition that present the life and works of Johann Sebastian Bach.

Mendelssohn's museum-house
The last home for Felix Mendelssohn, a late Biedermeier-style house where he moved with his family in 1845, is since 1997 the composer's museum where you will see the original furniture and some of his objects.

Gewandhaus concert hall
Headquarters of the Gewandhaus orchestra. Founded in 1743 and directed for a long time by Kurt Masur, one of the promoters of the peaceful Leipzig's revolution. The main attraction is the visit to the impressive 6,638 pipe organ!

But there is not only music in Leipzig. Auerbachs Keller, a famous restaurant , is a must in the city. Here , Johann Wolfgang von Goethe spent long times as a student and now is full of students and young people from all over the world. It was founded in 1525 by a doctor in his own home cellar.

History has its own place as well in Mädle, an old drugstore which is now a restaurant and a night pub. In Bergstrasse 19, there is also a Saxon food restaurant Thüringer Hof where Lutero used to go.

Notice that there is a Flea Market in Leipzig on the last weekend of the month. They say it is the eldest and the biggest in Europe

Picture Gewandhaus by Andreas Praefcke/ Picture Leipzig by Tino Strauss / Picture Bach by nalocos.blogspot.com

Their interior design and decor are clearly aimed at newcomers and avant-garde visitors, but they retain the traditional flavours of their cuisine through formulas cherished for their long-standing success. I am referring to Bodega La Cigaleña and Bodega del Riojano, two beacons of Santander whose labour reminds us that wholesome traditional cuisine based on no-frills quality produce is the secret of their permanence over time.

Bodega La Cigaleña

Wine, wine, wine; produce, produce, produce; history, history, history – that’s what makes Bodega La Cigaleña the epitome of classics in downtown Santander, a place well worth visiting, particularly to savour their food and drink. Simple dishes based on the finest ingredients is the perfect excuse to try the best wines – especially the natural ones – a trend picked up on some years back like some visionary pioneer by the manager of the establishment, Andrés Conde Laya, the third generation of business owners here since it opened in 1949. An eatery with the atmosphere of a rustic inn and a museum of myriad curiosities.

And, if they are not natural wines, don’t fret, as their wine cellar, with some 10,000 items, can count itself among the finest in Spain. You need only to look up to discover a ceiling crammed with bottles – they have, for instance, a Madeira wine from 1830.

Not-to-be-missed dishes include a sauté of 18 vegetables (a tribute to a creation by Michelle Bras), and grilled octopus and Norway lobster covered in a thick sauce of lobster heads. A word of advice – let yourself be guided by Andrés when it comes to choosing a wine.

Bodega del Riojano

Bodega del Riojano, which celebrates its platinum anniversary this year, is one of the quaintest eateries in town on account of its wine casks decorated by artists. Most of them are located above the heads of the guests. This restaurant-gallery features snapshots of Woody Allen, and works by Ramon Calderón, Antoni Clavé, Oswaldo Guayasamil, Eduardo Gruber, Manuel Viola, Miguel Ibarz and even the comedians, Andreu Buenafuente and Moncho Borrajo.

Their culinary offerings could be described as homemade, with a prevalence of traditional recipes  and stews, like their leading performers – red beans, peppers stuffed with beef, and pork and codfish with tomato. Also noteworthy are their mussels and prawn croquettes and their scrambled eggs with ham and baby broad beans.

Text and photos by Ferran Imedio of Gastronomistas.com

After more than four decades, the influence and sheer enormity of the Beatles is still present in many cities around the world , with streets, squares or monuments named after the Liverpudlian quartet that changed the history of rock for ever.

One of the most interesting tributes can be found in the Méndez Núñez Gardens in La Coruña and consists of a statue dedicated to John Lennon, who is depicted wearing his trademark glasses, grasping his guitar. An emotive memorial to the singer and composer who, together with Paul McCartney, wrote some of the most famous songs of all times and who now has a privileged place in this Galician city. It’s no surprise that every 8 December, the monument is covered in flowers to commemorate his death and to remember one of the most important artists of the 20th Century.

By David Moreu

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