Some months ago we wrote about five must-visit restaurants in Gijón: Los Pomares, where the fabada is a winner; El Quinto, a wine tavern with globe-trotting tapas; Casa Trabanco, a cider mill with guided visits laid on and dishes based on ingredients from their own market garden; El Candil, which boasts the best fish in town, and La Bolera, a grillroom acclaimed throughout Spain.

Should the list not make the grade – it does, I can assure you – Gijón also hosts several gastro-events which provide an excellent pretext to visit.

Flavours of Arcu Atlánticu

Billed as a culture festival featuring a blend of literature, performing arts, fine arts, music and cuisine from the Atlantic regions of Spain, France, Portugal, Ireland and the United Kingdom, the festival also features star chefs in action. Graced with awards by the city of Gijón, they cook on an enormous stage in the Plaza Mayor before more than 1,000 people, flanked by giant screens, as if a rock concert were being staged. This year, it will be held on 1 August. The event has already hosted such celebrities as Elena Arzak, Eneko Atxa, Andoni Luis Aduriz and Dieter Koschina, the chef at the Vila Joya restaurant, until recently the only Portuguese eatery with two Michelin stars.

Natural Cider Festival

In the week from 22 to 28 August, Gijón tastes only of cider. Around thirty cider mills set up their cider-serving stalls in two urban settings – the Plaza Mayor and the marina (alongside a sculpture known as “The Cider Tree”, made up of bottles from 80 Asturian cider mills). For a token fee, visitors get a commemorative glass they can fill up free-of-charge at any of the stands throughout the day at the so-called Mercadín de la sidra y la manzana (cider and apple market). There are various activities during the week. The bus de la sidra or “cider bus”, which visitors can take to the local cider mills, cursos de escanciado (courses in cider-pouring) and cancios de chigre (cider tavern songs) when hundreds of people gather in the Plaza Mayor to sing the most popular songs of Asturias, while on Poniente Beach there will be an attempt to break the Guinness simultaneous cider-pouring record. Set in 2014, it brought together 8,448 cider pourers.

Gijón de sidra

The Gijón de Sidra festival is held for eleven days each October (this year, from 6 to 16 October), during which cider mills from all over Asturias are twinned with emblematic cider taverns in the city. Each tavern then offers a bottle of cider from the mill they represent, in addition to a homemade portion of food served in a cazuelina, all at a moderate price, accompanied by the singing ofcancios de chigre(cider tavern songs).

Gastronomic Workshops

You can always join some gastronomic workshop around the time of the traditional fiestas. The celebrations of Antroxu (Carnival), with pote (hotpot), picadillo (mince) and frixuelos (flour fritters); those of Holy Week, the Asturian de Pinchos contest (in February), the pinchos (meat on the skewer) contest at the Gijón Sound Festival (last held from 15 to 17 April), and the Pinchos de Gijón championship (in November).

The Cider Route

A good way of learning everything you need to know about cider, the Asturian beverage par excellence, is by indulging in it. Depending on the ticket you purchase, you can learn the secrets of cider making, visit outlets where it is sold, take part in tasting sessions or eat candies made with apple. (There are four types of ticket, which are sold at the Gijón Tourist Offices or online). Available throughout the year.

Gijón Gourmet

Epicureans have the chance to lunch or dine at seven of the best restaurants in Gijón (Casa Gerardo, Agua, Bellavista, El Candil, La Salgar, Casa Víctor, Ciudadela) at an attractive price – 50 euros in the case of Michelin-starred eateries and 45 euros in the others. The menu comprises two starters, two main dishes, dessert and wine. When booking, all you need to point out is that you want a Gijón Gourmet Menu (only tables of up to 8 diners are eligible for the offer).

Gijón Goloso

Gijón Goloso works in a similar way. Considering it is one of Spain’s cities with the most confectionery shops, sixteen of them were selected to make a special sweet which visitors can taste after buying a ticket online or at the Infogijón offices. Five tastings costs 7 euros, while 10 tastings costs 13 euros. The offer lasts all year long, so you have ample time to prepare your trip, as sweet-toothed tourists will never be short of their candies.

Text and photos by Ferran Imedio of Gastronomistas.com

Those who think cultural tourism is a 21st-century invention are well off course – Venice invented it long ago. Intent on setting the city under the international spotlight, the first International Art Exhibition ever was held there in 1895. That is, the Venice Biennale, which has continued until this day.

The undisputed artificer of the avant-garde art pulse – Documenta notwithstanding – the Biennale has run into its 57th edition without losing steam. Six months full-out, from 13 May to 26 November, during which the city is invaded by contemporary art, which takes over both land and sea. What with vaporetti, churches and palazzi, we visited the city of canals to soak up the latest trends, soon to descend on museums and art galleries across half the globe. Let the Grand Tour begin!

Survival Manual

A cautionary word to all navigators – moving through the Biennale is no mean feat. The key – comfortable footwear, strategically placed accommodation and solid planning. The offerings are boundless and the spaces, gargantuan.

The main facilities are located at the Arsenale and the Giardini di Castello. Those are the sites of the official exhibition, Viva Arte Viva, as well as many of the 85 national pavilions dotting the island. And, as if that weren’t enough, the list is augmented by countless top-notch parallel exhibitions and events that have staked out their territory in the city’s historic buildings.

My advice – keep calm and don’t get flustered. The marathon only comes around every two years. Set aside three days on your agenda and you won’t succumb in the attempt. Take up lodgings in the area of Il Castello, the Biennale’s hard core, thereby avoiding vaporetto tickets. And, have a notebook on you and a camera with fully charged batteries so you can review the sights once you’re back home.

In the Giardini – the Cream of the Crop

Separating the wheat from the chaff can be exhausting. By way of a warm-up, we headed south-east, to the confines of the city. Located there are the Giardini di Castello, Venice’s green lung par excellence and the preserve of the national pavilions (a somewhat archaic idea, a reminder that the current Biennale is an updated version of the classical trade fairs of yesteryear). The fact is that in Venice each state has its own building to showcase to the world the cream of the crop of its contemporary art production, by way of an Art Olympics where the winner manages to show the most muscle.

While the Biennale is all about art, it is in fact also about power and architecture. In terms of the latter, some pavilions shine with a light of their own. Not to be missed are the Finland pavilion, built in timber modules by the luminary, Alvar Aalto, the father of modern Scandinavian architecture; the Austrian pavilion, the work of Josef Hoffmann who, together with Gustav Klimt, founded the Vienna Secession, and that of The Netherlands, its open forms highlighting the minimalist elegance of 1950s neoplasticism.

But, let’s get back to art and to the most talked-about offerings. The Golden Lion for the Best Pavilion was awarded to Germany, where artist Anne Imhof installed a glass floor under which performances displaying the world “as a kennel” take place. France depicts a musical space and recording studio, Studio Venezia, an installation designed by Xavier Veilhan where musicians and artists from all over the world perform. And Austria draws all the camera flashes with a lorry standing on its nose by Erwin Wurm, a playful proposal in a pavilion redolent with sculptures which visitors can interact and have fun with.

The Off Programme

Side shows, parallel exhibitions, talks, dialogues, performances and film cycles – no body is built to withstand Venice. Indeed, the official programme is rivalled by a series of first-rate artistic proposals staged in churches, foundations and museums around the city. Here, then, are the juiciest offerings in the Off-Biennale 2017.

Damien Hirst has hit Venice with a two-fold proposal. At collector François Pinault’s art spaces, the Punta della Dogana and the Palazzo Grassi, he has installed his latest eccentricities,including an 18-metre-high sculpture which rises into the firmament. In keeping with the British artist we are familiar with, his show is pure spectacle, and the perfect excuse to visit two historic buildings overlooking the Grand Canal.

The tiny island of San Giorgio Maggiore surrenders unconditionally to Michelangelo Pistoletto. A key figure of Arte Povera and one of the most prominent Italian artists, Pistoletto presents One and One Makes Three, an exhibition housed in an abbey designed by Palladio where he showcases a selection of his works created between the 60s and the present, also featuring his popular “Venus of the Rags”.

We wind up our marathon tour at the Palazzo Fortuny, a Venetian Gothic gem which rises between the Rialto Bridge and St Mark’s Square. This former home and studio of painter Marià Fortuny houses both the artist’s collection and temporary exhibitions. This time around, it is the turn of Intuition, a collective display dedicated to the evocative power of art and featuring such great names as André Breton, Joan Miró, Vassily Kandinsky, Marina Abramovic and Anish Kapoor.

Thus far our review of the Biennale, a centennial event which reinvents itself each year and showcases art to suit all tastes, interests and theories. We’re off to the canals!

Book your Vueling to Venice here

Text by Núria Gurina

Photos by: Andrea Avezzù, Jean-Pierre Dalbéra, Francesco Galli, g.sighele, imagea.org, Erin Johnson

Formentera is known to be pricey. But, while the bill may be steep in some restaurants, it can also be really affordable in others which are well worth the visit. Following is our varied selection after a visit to the island – sea-facing, in the island’s hinterland, in a hotel… Which one would you pick?

Casbah
I stayed at the Casbah, a quaint three-star hotel of small huts scattered about a pine forest just five minutes from Migjorn Beach. The restaurant serves traditional cuisine using cutting-edge techniques. It is inexpensive and there are some outstanding dishes, like the octopus croquettes, served with black-olive mayonnaise, the very tender grilled octopus and fish of the day. The meat dishes are tasty, while soupy lobster rice is one of the standouts. The average price is 40 euros per head, while there is also a tasting menu of six dishes and dessert for 60 euros, without drinks, and 80 with a pairing. They open from March to December.

Caminito
A benchmark on the island for its seniority (36 years) and the quality of its Argentine, American and Australian meat. Hence, this Argentinian venue is a catwalk of stars (Medem, Ramazzotti, Mariscal, Custo, Iniesta, Messi, Buenafuente, Dalma, Guardiola…) yearning for South American and Mediterranean dishes, like the delicate prawn cannelloni and simmered egg with potato, codfish and spring garlic sauce. The indoor swimming pool is an eye-opener, with several dinner tables set around it. Open from May to October. The average price is 50 euros.

Fonda Platé
In Sant Francesc Xavier, an inland village, you will find Fonda Platé, a popular watering hole where you can just as well go for a barrido –an assortment of breakfast, lunch, simple burger-type dinner dishes and salads – or a fregao (cocktails, music…). The terrace with its grapevine pergola is enchanting and the interior gives off a well-worn air reminiscent of the period when the tavern first opened. In the nineteen eighties, the current owners swapped their yacht for this establishment. Average price: 20–25 euros.

Sol Post
As its name suggest, Sol Post, in the Hotel Cala Saona, is one of the most picturesque spots to watch the sun setting. Lunch ushers in traditional Balearic cuisine – take note of the steamed mussels and their rices, like the unbeatable fish and seafood Paella del Senyoret, both reasonably priced. At dinner they serve up more modern, Mediterranean cuisine. Open from May to October, the average price is 30-35 euros for lunch, and 45 euros for dinner (with two tasting menus without drinks for 32 and 58).

Es Jardí des Marès
All in fine taste, sober and elegant, at the Hotel Marès (Sant Francesc Xavier), replete with art exhibits which lead into the restaurant, featuring elaborate, innovative dishes based on quality produce all sourced locally in Formentera. The terrace, once the garden of the neighbouring convent, is the setting for tasting playful, entertaining and modern dishes like colt carpaccio, the revamped country salad, sea bass with wild asparagus and kalamata olives and sweet potato crisps… Average price from 35 to 40 euros, while the tasting menu of five dishes and dessert, without drinks, costs 50.

Es Caló
Another Formentera benchmark. Traditional island cuisine (country salad, fish stew, rices, fried lobster with egg…). The excellent produce is served on several terraces – one of them a chill-out – with marvellous views of the turquoise blue sea and the green La Mola mountain. The lobster is fried with potatoes and green peppers; when the customer has finished ladling the food, the remaining pan oil is used to fry up some eggs. Open from Holy Week to the end of October; average price from 35 to 40 euros.

Sa Sequi
Ideal for enjoying a sunset with views of neighbouring Ibiza. At Sa Sequi, you can have a drink and small, cold or hot dishes in the chill-out, or full dishes on the restaurant terrace. There, the staple is fresh fish at more restrained prices than in the adjacent area of Ses Illetes. Open from May to November. Average price, 50 euros.

Text and photos by Ferran Imedio of Gastronomistas.com

“Our friend and companion Mr Kans Kamper of the Foot-Vallsection of the Sociedad los Deportesand former Swiss champion wishes to organise some football matches in Barcelona” read an advert in the weekly newspaper, Los Deportes on 22 October 1899. Hans Gamper, now known as Joan Gamper, was the Club's Swiss founder, player and president, and a key figure in the destiny of the Barcelona football team. He was already a prominent soccer player in his own country and, when he moved to Barcelona in 1899 for business reasons, he refused to forego his passion. He published the above advert in an attempt to perpetuate the sport. As a result, the foundational assembly of FC Barcelona was held on 29 November in the Gimnasio Solè. Located in Montjuïc del Carme Street number 5 (on the corner of Pintor Fortuny, near the Ramblas and very close to the Canaletes fountain), these premises went on to become a garage until they were bought by a construction company in 1996, demolished and rebuilt to be used as office space. However, a plaque at the entrance reminds passers-by that this place saw the birth of one of the most admired football clubs in the world.

From La Escupidera to Camp Nou

After continuously moving from one venue to another, Barça finally bought some grounds in 1909 between the streets Comte d’Urgell, Villarroel, Coello – now Londres – and Indústria – now París – where the first stadium was built. It was commonly known as La Escupidera (The Spittoon), given its small size. With a capacity for 6,000 spectators, it was almost too small from the outset. The numbers attending matches were such that those left outside would climb the outer walls of the premises in order to follow the game. The bottoms of these enthusiasts were exposed to the street, in view of passers-by, which is why Barça supporters are now known as culés (“bottomers” in Catalan).

In view of this, FC Barcelona moved to a stadium in the district of Les Corts, situated in the block delimited by the streets Numància, Travessera de Les Corts, Vallespir and Marquès de Sentmenat. Inaugurated on 20 May 1922, the stadium could initially hold 60,000 spectators. This enlargement also turned out to be insufficient to seat all those who wished to enjoy Ladislao Kubala’s football. This football wizard ­– included in the Barça "Holy Trinity" completed by Johan Cruyff and Leo Messi – was influential in the demolition of the Les Corts field and the construction of Camp Nou. The location of theformer stadiumis now commemorated by a plaque on an apartment block in Numància Street.

The new blaugrana colosseum, with a capacity for almost 100,000 people, was inaugurated on 24 September 1957 and has become a symbol of world football. A few metres from the stadium, encapsulating the essence of the club, stands the Masia Can Planas – a country house from 1702 that was until recently the residence of the blaugrana stars. For more information on Barça’s different headquarters, click here.

Between Euphoria and Faith

In February 1930, the weekly newspaper “La Rambla” was founded by Barça's president-to-be, Josep Suñol, with its headquarters at Las Ramblas number 13. Today, these premises are occupied by Núria Restaurant, just opposite the Canaletes fountain. At a time when football matches were not yet broadcasted on radio, the employees of the newspaper would hang a board from their office balcony with the day’s results. This was the way culés used to find out how well their team had done. If the score was satisfactory, the celebration would start. Since then, and still today, Canaletes fountain is the epicentre of Barça euphoria. Legend has it that, if visitors drink from the waters of Canaletes, they will eventually return to the city.

To wind up the celebrations, the football stars would end up on the balconies of the Generalitat de Catalunya and Barcelona City Hall in Sant Jaume square. Players, coaches and executives would then go to the Mercè chapel, a Baroque church located in La Mercè square, adjoining Carrer Ample and Passeig de Colom, to offer the winning trophy to the city's patron saint. Not very far from there is the cathedral of Santa María del Mar. This beautiful Gothic church was attacked at the beginning of the Civil War and most of the stained glass windows were destroyed. The government of the Generalitat insisted on its restoration, which was financed by various wealthy families of the time and Barcelona institutions, such as FC Barcelona. As a token of gratitude, the club's emblem was placed on the window in the church sanctuary. Indeed, football is a question of faith.

Barcelona is no doubt one of the most football-mad cities in the world. You can breathe Barça everywhere. Come and see it for yourself! Check out our flights here.

Text by Oriol Rodríguez / ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Images by Oriol Rodríguez, Juanedc, Maria Rosa Ferre, Jordi Ferrer, Enfo_34/ Fundació del FC Barcelona