Bilbao BBK has been with us for twelve years now – that’s quite a feat. A well consolidated festival which manages to compete with some all-powerful musical events in Barcelona and Madrid within a similar timeframe. The reason for its success is simple – its lineup of artists has been steadily growing in prestige and popular appeal. BBK, which is held this year from 6 to 8 July 2017, features some awesome names. The lineup of markedly varied musical styles is headed by Depeche Mode, Phoenix, Fleet Foxes, Die Antwoord, The Killers, Two Door Cinema Club, Justice, The Avalanches and Brian Wilson, among others. If you want to attend the concerts, there are still available some 3-Day Tickets and room in the campsite, should you prefer to steer clear of hotels and instead be more adventurous.

One of the hallmarks of this festival is the grounds it is set in. Monte Kobetas (also known as Kobetamendi), is one of the city’s iconic playgrounds. This elevated, forested area affords spectacular views of Bilbao, apart from acting as one of its lungs and a spot where Bilbaines do sport and go for picnics. However, the precinct is off limits to the general public for the duration of BBK, when it is repurposed solely to music. Access to Kobetamendi is a simple matter; in fact, a couple of free bus lines are laid on for the event by the organisers, facilitating access to the festival precinct for all attendees.

Over and above the musical offerings, BBK provides the perfect excuse for getting to know other places in Bilbao, too. Here are a few proposals for early risers eager to explore the city on foot.

The Best “Pintxos”

It’s a cliché, but it’s actually true – if you visit Bilbao, you simply have to eat pintxos more than once. It is an unwritten norm. And, Bilbao happens to have some of the best bars serving up this culinary speciality. To score a bull’s-eye with your pintxos, the best thing is to head for the city’s historic centre, an area crammed with restaurants of tried and tested quality. Four of them we can highly recommend are Gure Toki,Txiriboga,Motrikes and Askao Berri.

A Touch of Art

As luck would have it, BBK coincides with one of the pictorial exhibition highlights of the year, which is still on in the Guggenheim Bilbao, namely Paris, Fin de Siècle, an exhibition showcasing the work of the most prominent late-19th-century French and European painters. It would be unthinkable not to dive into the museum to see paintings by Toulouse-Lautrec, Signac and Redo, among others, before going up to the Kobetamendi precinct to soak up the festival. Oh, and while you’re about it, make sure you don’t miss the museum’s permanent collection, featuring works by the likes of Robert Motherwell, Yves Klein, Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, James Rosenquist, Anselm Kiefer and Gerhard Richter.

Power Records – Bilbao’s Temple of Vinyl

When in Bilbao, dropping in on Power Records is almost as important as eating pintxos if you’re a music aficionado.This legendary store has over twenty-five years’ history behind it. Located on Calle Villarías, near the Old Town and the Nervión estuary, this establishment has a mind-blowing selection of vinyls, both second-hand and imported. This is a veritable sanctuary for music lovers hunting for rare records by their favourite groups. Apart from second-hand albums, Power Records is also dedicated to CDs, reissues and the latest releases. So, if that seven-single by Depeche Mode, or a vinyl of “Pet Sounds” by Brian Wilson has been eluding you, you’re probably going to find it here.

Book your Vueling to Bilbao and let yourself be swept away by the music waves of one of the standout festivals in Spain.

Text by Xavi Sánchez Pons

Not for nothing is the small town of Saint-Émilion a veritable magnet for wine lovers. The surrounding farmland is blessed as one of the leading red wine producing areas in Bordeaux, along with the Médoc, Graves and Pomerol. Celebrated worldwide, each year it attracts wine connoisseurs, tourists and passers-by who roam from one chateau to the next in search of the best local wine. But, that is not the only reason they come here. They are also drawn by the magic enveloping this town of steep, narrow streets, Romanesque churches and picturesque ruins which, alongside the vineyards, make up an irresistibly charming ensemble. No wonder, then, that Saint-Émilion and its environs are listed as World Heritage by UNESCO.

Saint-Émilion is named after the monk Émilion, who settled here in the 8th century and was credited with performing a number of miracles. The monks that were gradually drawn to the area were instrumental in getting the wine-marketing business off the ground, based on the vineyards which have been tended in Saint-Émilion since Roman times.

A must-visit destination for wine connoisseurs, the town features numerous landmarks well worth visiting. Its Monolithic Church is one of these. Carved out of a cliff from the 12th to the 15th century, its interior is surprisingly spacious and the complex is crowned with a lofty tower. Other highlights of Saint-Émilion include the Collegiate complex and the Cordeliers Cloister.

And, needless to say, there are always the chateaux, which can be visited as part of tours offered by the Saint-Émilion Tourist Office. But, why not strike out on a different kind of visit. Here’s how…

Les Grandes Heures de Saint-Émilion

When planning your visit to Saint-Émilion, we suggest you factor in one of the leading local festivals, Les Grandes Heures de Saint-Émilion. What makes this festival so special is that it is the only way to visit some of the region’s magnificent chateaux where this splendid, popular wine is made, in a unique, out-of-the-ordinary setting. The programme features classical music concerts accompanied by wine tasting sessions, endowing a visit to the wine cellar with a wholly different dimension. The festival opens in March and runs until December, when the last concert is held. This year, the first concert is scheduled to take place in the Château Fombrauge on 29 March.

The sites where you can enjoy this experience include the Château Soutard, Château de Pressac, Château Angélus, Château Cantenac, Château Fombrauge and Château Cheval Blanc, known for being one of the few producers whose wine is designated Premier grand cru classé A.But the programme is not limited to the wine cellars dotting the area; some of the concerts are also held at such emblematic sites as the Monolithic Church of Saint-Émilion. Be sure to book your ticket in advance.

Book your Vueling to Bordeaux, which lies just 40 kilometres from Saint-Émilion, and get to know one of France’s leading wine-producing areas.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Image by Tim Snell

Lyon is an ideal city for quickly switching off from one’s daily routine and returning home with one’s batteries charged. Here, you will find everything you’re looking for, from fine cuisine to myriad musical, historical and artistic offerings.

But, before strolling through Lyon’s streets, let’s review some features that will help us come to grips with that amazing city.

Introduction

Founded by the Romans, Lyon has long been a compulsory place of passage between northern and southern Europe. Further, its privileged position at the confluence of the Saone and Rhone rivers and its proximity to the Alps has rendered it an essential setting over the last 2,000 years. Listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1998, the city breathes that blend of tradition, modernity and sophistication so endearing to tourists. The fact is you can stroll along the medieval backstreets in its old city or promenade along its luxurious boulevards; eat traditional food or shop in its boutiques.

Hub

We begin our itinerary on high. To that end, we take the funicular railway from the Vieux Lyon station and go up to Fourvière hill, the spot where the city was founded. Added to the splendid views are vestiges of the Roman Theatre and Odeon, two backdrops still used for summer art festivals. The impressive Gallo-Roman Museum, embedded in the hillside near the archaeological site, makes a compulsory visit for anyone wishing to discover the origins of the city, as well as to enjoy the sublime building which Bernard Zehrfuss designed in 1975. Still on the hillside and not far from the Roman precinct stands the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière, its design inspired by Romanesque and Byzantine architecture, the perfect spot for a spiritual retreat and noteworthy for its dozens of mosaics.

After descending on the funicular, the route proceeds through Old Lyon, site of the Cathedral of St John, with its blend of Romanesque and Gothic styles. It is set in one of Europe’s best preserved medieval and Renaissance quarters which is well worth ambling through to soak up the atmosphere. It is also an ideal area for stopping off to eat in the odd bouchon, a traditional Lyonnais restaurant which has helped earn the city its international fame. Consider that Lyon is regarded as the world’s gastronomy capital, the cradle of such chefs as Paul Bocuse and Eugénie Brazier. Make sure you try the local tablier de sapeur, the quenelles, Lyonnais sausage, salade lyonnaise and onion soup. But, make sure the restaurant features the Authentique Bouchon Lyonnais label to avoid anyone pulling the wool over your eyes.

The Upshot

To work off your meal, we recommend crossing the river Saone and venturing along the Presqu’île, a peninsula formed by the confluence of the rivers Rhone and Saone. Prominent landmarks here are the Place Bellecour and Place des Terreaux, the luxury Carré d’Or district lined with boutiques, the sumptuous City Hall and the interesting Fine Arts Museum and Opéra de Lyon. The latter, designed by the acclaimed architect, Jean Nouvelle, sees a large modern structure superimposed on an older, original building – the result is a colossal artwork that will not leave you indifferent. If you check out its website, you are sure to find a show to round off your day.

Here, then, are some pointers for spending an unforgettable day in Lyon. Check out our flights here.

Text and images by Aleix Palau for ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Everything about Paris is enchanting – its streets, stores, bistros, pastry shops, fashion – but, if there is one thing I’m crazy about its the cultural life. I could churn out post after post about the city’s theatres, street festivals and markets and underground concerts. But, today it’s time to open my diary and review the most exciting exhibitions due to grace the French capital in the coming months. There’s a bit of everything, from ancient classics to contemporary offerings. Pack your bags – we’re off to Paris!

1. Vermeer and the Masters of Genre Painting in the Louvre
Nobody was able to capture genre scenes of 17th-century Holland as masterfully as Johannes Vermeer. On display at the Louvre is an exhibition at which Vermeer and such contemporaries of his as Pieter de Hooch, Frans van Mieris, Gerrit Dou, Jan Steen and Gerard ter Borch face off in an interplay which denotes similarities and reveals influences. Until 22 May.

2. Iconic Henri Cartier-Bresson
One of the great milestones in the history of photography is the book, Images à la Sauvette. Iconic and defiant, Henri Cartier-Bresson’s title was published in 1952 and has now become a cult manual. With the cover design by Henri Matisse, it is the backbone of an exhibition which will appeal to devotees of both photography and the oeuvre of the father of photojournalism. At the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson. Until 23 April.

3. Cy Twombly – A Complete Retrospective at the Centre Pompidou
The Centre Pompidou is celebrating its fortieth anniversary in style. One of the flagship exhibitions in this celebration is the retrospective devoted to Cy Twombly, who rates among the most influential visual artists of the 20th century. A hundred and forty sculptures, drawings, photographs and paintings yield an exceptional view of this multi-faceted artist, providing a unique angle on one of the undisputed greats.

4. Rodin – The Centennial Exhibition
Any history of sculpture would be unthinkable without mention of Auguste Rodin. He goes down in art history as a fundamental artificer and this year marks the centenary of his death. On display at the Grand Palais are some of the most celebrated works of the forerunner of modern sculpture, in an exhibition which also features pieces by other great masters who were influenced by Rodin. Works by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, Antoine Bourdelle, Paul Claudel and Constantin Brancusi will share the space until 31 July.

5. Sky and Mysticism at the Musée d’Orsay
The sky and the stars are a recurring theme as of 19th-century symbolism. Such artists as Gauguin, Denis, Seurat, Monet, Klimt, Hodler, Munch, Van Gogh and Kandinsky were transported by the spirituality of nature and landscape. In the exhibition, Beyond the Stars. The Mystical Landscape from Monet to Kandinsky, the Musée d’Orsay, in collaboration with the Art Gallery of Ontario, provides a look at the more mystical side of the work of these artists.

6. Appel Returns To Paris
On loan from the Karel Appel Foundation of Amsterdam, the Musé d’Arte Moderne (MAM) of Paris is exhibiting twenty-one paintings and sculptures by this artist, who died in 2006. Karel Appel, a founding member of the Cobra group, which started in Paris in 1948 and disbanded in 1951, strove to break free of the academicism of the period and produce a more spontaneous, experimental art, including a set of practices inspired by primitivism. Until 20 August.

Book your Vueling to Paris and soak up the art in some of these magnificent temporary exhibitions in the city’s paramount art centres.

Text by Aleix Palau

Photo by Yann Caradec