Athens is a place you feel, not see. The beauty and soul of the city is laced into the way of life - the small moments and exchanges that happen daily - rather than in immaculately preserved monuments, museums and high streets like those of other European capitals.
During Passover, Jewish families gather at their tables to retell a story passed down for thousands of years, recounting the Exodus, the biblical story of the Israelites' liberation from slavery in Egypt.
We have deployed several types of cooling systems here, each one used depending on climatic conditions. The system, created millennia ago but updated for the 21st century, works by cooling water underground in the naturally low temperatures at night. To cool water more quickly, some is also sent to the roof via solar-powered pumps and sprayed out of nozzles in a thin layer through a method known as a falling film, before draining back down underground.
Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia - famous for its modernist architecture, world-renowned museums and contemporary foodie scene - welcomed 16 million visitors last year, a figure that has been rising significantly since its post-pandemic levels of around 12.4 million in 2022.
In Italy, the most common topic mentioned as a source of national pride was culture and the arts. These were cited by 38 percent of respondents, more than any other place. An Italian woman who took part in the survey said she was proud of 'the works in the churches, paintings, sculpture ... most places in Italy have something beautiful.' An Italian man said that 'Italy is an open-air museum.'
More than 30,000 hectares of land are covered in plastic, a geometric labyrinth five times the size of Manhattan, where 3.5m tons of vegetables are produced every year from tomatoes to cucumbers, peppers to courgettes, aubergines to melons, enough to feed half a billion people and generate a turnover of more than 3bn euros.
Rocher de la Vierge is a rocky promontory connected by a footbridge to the beach, that offers one of the most photographed panoramas in Biarritz. Access to the site is free, and it is best visited during daylight hours to fully enjoy the views.
For a true sense of freedom and escape, nothing quite compares with an island getaway. Whether it's island hopping in Greece, exploring a Scandinavian archipelago by kayak or simply getting on a ferry to the Isle of Wight, we'd love to hear about your favourite European islands. The best tip of the week, chosen by Tom Hall of Lonely Planet wins a 200 voucher to stay at a Coolstays property the company has more than 3,000 worldwide.
Dating to the 1st-2nd century A.D., the bronzes are about 20 inches long and mounted to rectangular bases. They capture the little girls in dynamic movement, frozen in the act of propelling themselves forward, their fingers splayed wide on each side of the partridges just about to catch them. The craftsmanship is superior, every detail on the toddlers and partridges realistically depicted with fine materials. The eyes are inlaid with white stones and one of the girls still has her metal irises.
Oskar: We matched on Tinder in Bali the day before he left, so we didn't physically meet. He was living in Melbourne at the time, and I actually had plans to move there. Santi: A month later, I asked him on a date. We watched Bridesmaids at an outdoor cinema. Oskar: I was obsessed. But I didn't have a permanent place to live... Santi: ...which is when my friend and I found a three-bedroom and needed another roommate. Oskar: We moved in as friends. Santi: At least, that was the plan. But that first night, I was really cold and I found my way into his room.
Humans have a predisposition to experience a drop in alertness and vigilance around midday, between six and eight hours after waking up. In fact, the word siesta comes from the Latin sexta, which in Ancient Rome referred to the sixth hour of the day from dawn; a time reserved for rest and relaxation. There are many markers we measure in the laboratory which indicate that this period is present, even without having eaten lunch, he states.
Maspalomas, a resort down off the coast of Gran Canaria in Spain, is one of the top gay vacation destinations in the world. It's home to fabulous beaches, stunning sand dunes, and a population of just over 36,000 with an impressive 30 LGBTQ+ bars, meaning there's nearly one bar per every thousand residents.
The Reina Sofia's new rehang opens, quite pointedly, with a painting of a detained man sitting, head bowed and wrists shackled, as he waits for the arbitrary hand of institutional bureaucracy to decide his fate. The picture, Document No , was painted by Juan Genoves in 1975, the year Francisco Franco died and Spain began its transition to democracy after four decades of dictatorship.
MADRID - The most famous portrait of Maruja Mallo depicts the artist covered from head to toe in seaweed. She is crowned and draped with long, rope-like strands of kelp, her arms raised triumphantly like an all-powerful marine goddess. This unconventional photograph, snapped in 1945 by the poet Pablo Neruda on a Chilean beach, was no doubt carefully orchestrated by the Spanish artist, who viewed herself as an extension of her unique work, where female energy is a conduit for natural and even cosmic forces.
Mercado Bom Sucesso has been serving a wide range of traditional Portuguese food since 1949. Its modern design is unmissable when walking around the heart of Porto, and it's absolutely worth a stop. While farmers' markets are usually held outdoors, food halls are primarily indoors, and Bom Sucesso is no different. This means that no matter when you're visiting - whether it be the dead of winter or the height of summer - you'll be able to enjoy local delicacies in a climate-controlled environment.
House prices in Spain rose by 1.8 percent month-on-month and 19.9 percent year-on-year, bringing the average price of homes February this year to 2,950/m, according to data from the Fotocasa Real Estate Index. Buying a home in Spain now costs 40,000 more than it did a year ago.
A new art fair with a distinctive approach and locale is joining the international art world for the spring calendar: Art Cologne Palma Mallorca. While Mallorca is often framed as an idyllic Mediterranean escape, it has quietly developed into a vibrant art hub, and the fair builds on that momentum, positioning the island as a crossroads for international and regional art scenes.
"Ronda is considered one of Spain's most beautiful cities due to its spectacular location, the deep ravine (Tajo), and the surrounding mountains, called Serranía de Ronda," says Maike Ange, a tour guide specializing in Andalusia. Puente Nuevo, or the "New Bridge," is one of the town's three bridges traversing the 400-foot gorge, which splits Ronda into El Mercadillo ("New Town") and La Ciudad ("Old Town"). The dramatic views, however, are still just a sliver of the destination's appeal.
Friday morning found Diego Velazquez striking the familiar pose he has held for the past 370 years, staring out, brush in one hand, palette in the other, from the huge canvas of Las Meninas. The 14 people who stood before the painting to meet the Spanish artist's haughty gaze not to mention the heavy eyes of the dozy mastiff in the picture's foreground were among the first visitors of the day to Madrid's Prado Museum.
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