Do you hate the cold? Do you get depressed when you have to get your winter clothes out? Do you try and plan trips to the nearest beach during the winter? You can do something about it! You might have already been to these destinations to get away from the cold and this will bring back memories... or maybe it will inspire you to get away to a warm place in the next few months! Let's enjoy the good weather!

Looking for a different kind of destination to get away? Keen to discover somewhere new? Pack your bag and head to these cities which you've probably never visited.

By Belén Parra and Carme Gasull

Milan is the model of that Italian north in constant contrast to the south of the country. A cosmopolitan city representing industrial drive and modernity as ways to open up and promote itself worldwide. From fashion to food and art to football, few people are unable to place this capital on the map. A source and destination for business, it's a good idea to discover what it has to offer.

Where to stay

Hotel The Gray
Via San Raffaele, 6
www.sinahotels.com

This hotel could not have a better location. The city centre is right around the corner from your room and the views are superb. So much so that you'll want to spend more time there. Modern, cool and elegant whilst remaining discreet... A five star hotel with 21 spacious fully equipped rooms where no detail is overlooked. A varied buffet breakfast alongside à la carte dishes and impeccable service. It is served in Le Noir restaurant, where reservations can also be made for dinner. Free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel (including the 'communal' terrace) with a personal password for every device. The Gray is one of the 520 independent hotels listed in Small Luxury Hotels of the World ™ (SLH), a selection of charming establishments in 70 countries around the world - from avant-garde designer hotels to palatial 17th-century mansions, sanctuaries in city centres to remote private islands, historical homes to idyllic resorts.

Where to eat

Al Pont de Ferr
Ripa di Porta Ticinese 55
pontdeferr.it/

Earth, fire, water and air. The four elements on a plate. Uruguay native Matías Perdomo and Argentina born Simón Press have revolutionised this historic osteria owned by Maida Mercuri, the first female sommelier in Italy. An explosive trio in Naviglio Grande, a bustling must-see area to get a feel for the city.

Rebelot del Pont
Ripa di Porta Ticinese, 55
This premises, an off-shoot of Al Pont de Ferr, opened just one year ago. A more informal setting, the head chef is the young Brazilian Maurizio Zillo, who trained in different Spanish kitchens. Miniature cuisine or Italian-style 'tapas' (and drinks) at a great price.

Cracco
Via Victor Hugo, 4
www.ristorantecracco.it
This is the great benchmark of avant-garde cuisine in Milan. Two Michelin stars. The owner and chef Carlo Cracco, alongside head chef Lucca Sacchi, serve up a menu offering the whole of Italy on a plate, extolling it with immense creativity. Located next to the Duomo and some of the gourmet spots in the city such as Peck and Ladurée. A luxury.

Pisacco
Via Solferino, 48
www.pisacco.it
Carefree, informal and packed. Owned by several partners, including chef Andrea Berton, who has a signature restaurant in the same city. The menu includes light tasty dishes: marinated salmon, vitello tonnato and a delicious veal hamburger with chips created by the chef. Free Wi-Fi.

Where to shop

Eataly
Milano Smeraldo Piazza XXV Aprile, 10
www.eataly.it
Opened recently in the premises of the former Teatro Smeraldo, it offers the entire wealth of the Italian pantry over several floors. Cheeses, wines, sausages, sweets, fresh pasta, cookery books... It is a beautiful place with a piano to host near-acoustic concerts. It also offers cookery classes for amateurs and even children.

La Rinascente
Piazza Duomo, 10
www.rinascente.it
Teas, coffees, preserves, sweets... On the top floor of the building you can try and/or buy any gourmet product you fancy. Specialised food stands for sushi, tapas or pasta and enjoying the Duomo from above. Indeed, it'll feel right on top of you if you decide to eat on the terrace. A hugely popular tourist destination, it's a good idea to avoid heading there at the weekend. Next door to the marvellous hotel The Gray.

La Feltrinelli Red
Piazza Gae Aulenti, 20
www.lafeltrinelli.it
Read, eat, dream. There are many branches of Italy's most emblematic bookshop but you won't find a more gastronomic one than here. The décor breathes food all around and you can eat or have a drink whilst losing yourself in its selection of books. For all ages. Located in the newest part of town.

10 Corso Como
Corso Como, 10
www.10corsocomo.com
A small garden welcomes you to the café-restaurant, clothes and designer gift shop, and art gallery. Located on a pedestrian street that links old Milan to the city's new skyscrapers.

Where to have a drink

Armani Bamboo Bar
Via Alessandro Manzoni, 31
milan.armanihotels.com
Located on the seventh floor of the stylish Armani Hotel and just around the corner from the city's fashion quarter. It is the ideal spot to see and be seen, hold a relaxed meeting and enjoy the famous Aperitif.

Champagnerie
Corso Matteotti, 4/6
milano.boscolohotels.com
As its name suggests, this is the favourite haunt for those who enjoy a good glass of champagne and who have something to celebrate. It is one of the lures of the Boscolo Hotel, where you can also enjoy delicious cocktails over stunning views.

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

Slow Tourism – What’s That?

Who has not felt stressed at the end of some trip? We tend to arrive at our destination and set about “logging” all the monuments and places of interest marked in our guidebook. This goes on, day after day, until, when we return home, we suddenly realise, exhausted, that our mind is cluttered with haphazard recollections of everything we have seen and done.

There is an alternative to conventional sightseeing known as slow tourism, an offshoot of a cultural trend called the Slow Movement, which aims to overturn all that. In essence, it involves taking our time when visiting a particular city or region, enabling us to imbibe more deeply the spaces we encounter, our contact with people and our forays into local culture. This is clearly a more sustainable form of tourism, closely related to nature activities, although not limited to them.

In northern Italy, in the region of Emilia-Romagna, the province of Ferrara offers two major spots where we can engage in slow tourism – its capital, Ferrara, known as one of Italy’s most tranquil destinations, and the Po river delta, with an endless variety of nature activities. If to this we add the calm temperament of its inhabitants and their rich gastronomy, we have no excuse not to take our time getting to know that province.

The Valli di Comacchio, a Stroll through Nature

One of the mainstays of the economy in the province of Ferrara is thePo river delta,a highly fertile land for cultivating fruit and grain, and an ideal area for fishing. It also stands out for its wealth of flora and fauna, leading it to be listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999.

Lying south of the Po Delta Regional Parkbetween Comacchio and the Reno river lies the Valli di Comacchio, an area well worth visiting on account of its uniquely beautiful landscape. This is a marsh area stretching for some 11,000 hectares of typically flat land where the waterbody alternates between brackish and seawater. The best way of negotiating the area is by bicycle, for which several routes have been designed for fairly comfortable cycling. Outings by boat, on horseback and walking tours are also organised. One of the major activities here is bird-watching, the main birding species including mallards, flamingos, herons and cormorants.

In the middle of this natural space lies the town of Comacchio which is picturesquely built on 13 islands interconnected by a series of bridges and canals. That accounts for it being mentioned in several guidebooks as a “little Venice”. Fishing is one of the main activities in the area, so don’t forget to try out their foremost culinary speciality, anguilla marinata (marinated eel), which is still prepared according to a traditional recipe. If you’re curious to learn more about how this delicacy is made, we can recommend a visit to the Manifattura dei Marinati.

Ferrara – Serenity, Renaissance and Bicycles Galore

Ferrara is perfect for those interested in a city which combines serenity and a generous measure of art. Medieval in origin and ruled in the past by the Este family, this city is characterised by an urban-planning project designed by the architect, Biagio Rossetti, who crafted it into one of Italy’s prime Renaissance destinations. A must-see is the Castello Estense with its moat, in the city centre, in addition to the Duomo, the Via delle Volte and the old Jewish ghetto. Prominent among its magnificent Renaissance palaces, most of which have been turned into museums, are the Palazzo del Comune, the Palazzo della Ragione and the Palazzo dei Diamanti with its distinctive diamond-shaped blocks.

A feature of Ferrara which strikes one immediately is the large number of bicycles plying its streets, reminiscent of Amsterdam. We recommend hiring a bicycle and going on a delightful tour of the city walls – you won’t be disappointed.

When it comes to culinary delicacies, you must try the pasticcio di maccheroni (baked macaroni with Parmesan cheese), salama da sugo (roast pork sausage, usually accompanied by mashed potato) and Ferrara bread, with its distinctive flavour and unusual, four-crusted shape.

Perk up and explore this beautiful region – check out our flights!

Texts ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Photos Photo Archive of the Province of Ferrara