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The mystic Asian side of Istanbul
First time visitors to the ancient city of Istanbul often miss out on the unique experience of the Asian side of the city. With all the stunning architecture and history-steeped sites on the European side, the time just passes too quickly, and before you know it, you’re on your way home. When you’re planning your trip to Istanbul, just remember to set aside a little time to take in some of the fascinating sights, sounds and flavors of the city’s Asian section. Life in the Asian section moves at a different pace, far from the bustle and crowds of the major tourist attractions. But don’t let the lack of tourists fool you – there’s plenty to do and see. Here are a few of our favorite spots. The Kadiköy Tuesday Market This should definitely be your first stop in Asian Istanbul, and you can reach Kadiköy by taking the ferry. The boat leaves every 15-20 minutes, so catching one should be fairly easy. After a leisurely 25 minute ride, you’ll pull into Kadiköy port. Head on over to Söğütlüçeşme Caddesi where the famous Tuesday open air market is hosted. If you don’t feel like walking the whole way, hop on the nostalgic tram which will take you right from the ferry dock to the Altiyol stop. From there, you can slip into any one of the many market entrances. Grab a pastry and a coffee, then just enjoy browsing the vibrant, colorful market scene. Moda This spot has obviously seen better days – and some folks turn their noses up at it because of that. I’d say that it’s...
Route around Cologne
Cologne is one of the German cities with the most charm and personality. Unequivocally linked to the Rhine river, Cologne emerged from its ashes to show the visitor all of its vitality, its marvelous secrets and the treasures for which it is known. If you were thinking of travelling to Cologne, let us recommend a few places to visit that are a must in your itinerary. We could not start anywhere else but in the most symbolic landmark of the city, Cologne Cathedral. Known as the Dom, this fabulous building is visible from every part of the city and its silhouette is much more than a symbol for the locals. The cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and there´s no tourist that doesn´t have a photograph standing in front of its majestic porches. Its gothic style was a turning point in the history of architecture. With its 548 ft in height, it was the tallest building in the world from 1248 until 1884. An anecdote for the visitor is that, according to the tale, the remains of the Three Wise Men lay inside. The chest that contains their remains and relics is one of the most visited spots of Cologne Cathedral. For all those who are looking for a cultural inspiration during their holiday in Cologne, this is what they might be looking for. The city has a large offer of museums, from the Romano-Germanic Museum, the Museum of Applied Art at Wallraffplatz and even the Ludwig Museum. With all of these places, the cultural visitor will have plenty of places to sooth his thirst for knowledge. For those with a sweet tooth, there´s another very special museum, the Chocolate Museum....
Barcelona Jazz Festival 2012
With the arrival of autumn, it´s traditional that the most important European cities get geared up for jazz. A large number of festivals proliferate around the continent and make up a more or less permanent circuit for the great jazz stars, a music genre that has been a unique artistic field that has characterized the 20th century. One of the most prestigious and attractive festivals is the one that takes place in Barcelona (http://www.barcelonajazzfestival.com/), which is celebrating its 44th edition this year with a month-full of concerts that make up an impressive lineup filled with top-class artists and eclectic musical proposals. This is a characteristic that is common in most international jazz festivals and has not fallen short of the critics amongst the most purist jazz crowd, since they are tired that jazz is considered a dumping ground for music that doesn´t fit in other traditional genres by commercial music-playing radios. Despite their well known liking for fusion, even the most purist fans should be delighted this year with the star performance of the one and only Sonny Rollins. At the age of 82, he who is perhaps the biggest living legend in jazz will be playing in the magnificent, dreamy and mesmerizing venue of the Palau de la Música on the 20th of November. Rollins is one of the giants that this genre has produced in the last 50 years, mostly thanks to his unique way of playing the saxo and for his songs, which have been jazz classics for many years. Rollins´ presence could boost any festival but this extraordinary New Yorker won´t be the only jazz colossus...
The cold is coming… November has arrived!
Promocode: PCQJNISRLGFM In November, the cities on the northern part of the planet get filled with coats, scarves, hats and gloves. After the hot summer, it seems that the cold has finally set in… and it´s here to stay (for a few months at least!) November, also, is funnily full of cultural festivals for all tastes: film, jazz, dance, architecture, art… any excuse is a good one to get away for a few days and soak in the culture of different cities. And when the event is over, what better than a nice coffee in a warm Italian coffee shop in Milán or a nice hot chocolate in a cozy café in Paris. At Only-apartments, we would like you to enjoy these experiences and everything that our destinations can offer you at an amazing price thanks to our promotional code. Submerge yourself in the cold and make the most of our offer. It´s valid for the first 10 days of November! Venice. Check out the amazing architecture at the 13th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale. Paris. Opera, film, dance, performing arts… you´ll find it all at the Autumn Festival in París. Marrakech. Do you like film? Discover the International Film Festival of Marrakech. London. Visit the World Travel Market and find out about the latest trends in the tourism sector. Granada. Aside from the beautiful Alhambra, Granada offers you the International Jazz Festival. Athens. Dance specialists from around the world arrive at the city for Dance Therapy festival. Amsterdam. The museums of the Dutch capital will be open all night for the Museumnacht. Milan. The city...
Shelter 307 in Barcelona
Barcelona is a city that´s still growing, where many changes have taken place and are still happening, not only in the configuration of the city itself and the expansion of its most emblematic districts but also due to the amount of travellers and tourists who go there. Therefore, we can find in Barcelona a unique and relevant personality of social involvement, a struggle for freedom of expression and, above all, an intense political action that generates a feeling of community. There´s no doubt that Barcelona is one of the cities with the most cultural effervescence in Spain, with a struggle for gender equality, rights for immigrants and the resistance against abuses of power on different levels coming from all sides. The people of Barcelona have a considerable will for freedom of expression. This is of course a virtue and not a fault. That a community can express itself and reject what goes against their rights and at the same time create the networks to do so, is something that´s very important. This character of resistance is nothing new in Barcelona. As everyone knows, Catalonia was an important anarchist stronghold since the end of the 19th century. Please, dear reader, let´s understand anarchist not just as a way of revolt but also the search for equality amongst all individuals, of all genders and races, for a community with equal rights for everyone without any abuse of power. And so, Shelter 307 is the best example of the spirit of a community that worked together with the local governments of back then in order to create a shelter to protect themselves and survive...
London – overview
London is a city that offers many options as there are personalities. Whether traveling as a couple, with children, alone or with friends, find your place in London. The Best If you like music, I would say that the best place in Europe to enjoy it is London. There are plenty of bars with live music of various styles, but, of course, above all, you have brit-pop. And if you´re looking for instruments, Denmark Street is your street, there you will find guitars that are almost impossible to find in most European cities as well as all kinds of other instruments. Music breathes through the streets of London, to the point that anyone who is playing in metro can leave you in awe. It is also a good place if you´re a musician looking for your opportunity, since due to the wide variety of live music venues, surely, if you´re good, you will get a chance to prove your talent. Family London has a great variety of amusements for the whole family, from Battersea Park Children´s Zoo, a small charming zoo, owned by a lovely family who loves animals to the Barking Park Fireworks, an event that takes place now in November with concerts, activities for the whole family and of course, fireworks. Or a ride on the Ferris wheel, if children are not afraid of heights, a picnic in Hide-Park or an afternoon adventure at Crystal Palace Park, a park full of sculptures of dinosaurs where the smallest can have a ball. There are also many children shows in London, such as Disney on Ice, and...
Tallinn
If a traveller ever dreamt about a fairytale city, a place where you expect mythological creatures, enchanted princesses, gnomes, elves, witches and wizards to come out all of a sudden, that city would be the Estonian capital, Tallinn. Despite the city being filled with commercial activity and boasting brand new buildings, its well-preserved Old Town is where the traveller will feel transported to a magical place. Tallinn´s Old Town is part of UNESCO´s World Heritage Site list. It preserves the framework of medieval streets and large part of the city wall towers. Let´s start the route with no further delay: What to see in Tallinn? 1. The centre of the Old Town, or Vana Tallinn in Estonian. You have to go to the main square, flanked by beautiful buildings painted in yellow and white tones, crowned with red roofs. You can´t miss the unique Town Hall of the end of the 15th century, constructed in Gothic style and boasting a tall tower with a rooster weather vane on top. Exotic lovers can acquire medicinal herbs or teas at Raepteek, on the corner of the square. This pharmacy appears in a 15th-century document, which makes it the oldest pharmacy in the western world. 2. St Olav´s Church and the Church of the Holy Spirit are essential to see. You have to stop by on Long Leg St (Pikk jalg) and Short Leg St (Lühike jalg), as well as in the cobbled and oneiric St Catherine Passage and on Pikk St, with the original circular building known as Horse Mill (Hobuveski). Another similar building is the Fat Margaret Tower (Paks Margareeta). 3. Worthy of a postcard or...
Ice Cream Parlours in New York
Ice cream is one of those wonderful pleasures that can transform an ordinary day into a treat, a sweltering heat into exotic sugary bliss and a bustling city into an urban adult playground. Here is a list of some of New York City’s most loved and talked about ice cream parlours to help you treat yourself during your visit. Sky Ice Sweet & Savoury serves ice cream with a Thai twist, infusing flavours like sesame, wasabi and lychee into their sweet creamy treats. You can find it on 63 Fifth Ave. Victory Garden makes lactose-free, Middle-Eastern inspired deliciousness with goats milk and local ingredients. Favourite flavours include Salty Caramel, a rich cocoa chocolate, tangy goat milk yogurt and rose hibiscus sorbet. Find it on 31 Carmine Street in the West Village. Holey Cream is a treasure trove of sugary delights, with ice-creams, sorbets and frozen yogurts on offer next to donuts, cookies, muffins and more. Hit these guys up for a ice-cream sandwich made from a iced donut of your choice and an ice-cream centre. To get your fix, go to 796 Ninth Ave between 51st and 52nd. Blue Marble is all about being eco, light on the added sugar and into seasonal flavours. They use certified organic flavour and pride themselves of offering ‘real’ food rather than preservative-packed desserts. Blue Marble can be found at 196 Court Street in Brooklyn. L’ Art de Gelato takes you to the romantic streets of Italy with one lick of their traditional-style ice-cream. With a love of artisanal, daily-fresh batches, this gelaterie can be found at 75 Ninth Ave, inside the...
Explosion! Pollock Legacy at the Miró Foundation in Barcelona
Movement, speed and energy are coming to the Miró Foundation as, together with the Stockholm´s Moderna Museet and sponsored by the BBVA Foundation, they have organized the exhibition ´Explosion! Pollock Legacy at the Miró Foundation´. The exhibition tries to show the influences that Pollock, unconsciously, created through action painting, since it opened a large field of possibilities inside conceptual art and performance. This experimental attitude, where the importance lies in creative art and in the painting that results from this action, was to have a large impact in the 40s and 60s. And so, in this exhibition, not only can you find works by Jackson Pollock, but also from other artists such as Yves Klein, Niki de Saint Phalle, Jean Tinguely, Allan Kaprow, Andy Warhol, Lynda Benglis, Saburo Murakami, Bruce Nauman, John Baldessari, and Paul McCarthy among others, thus offering a broad view of this 20th century artistic style. Let´s remember though what action painting is and which were the most-used techniques by Pollock. In action painting, the canvas goes on the floor, according to the artist, since the painting cannot be made on the easel because it needs a hard surface, like the floor, so that the artist can walk around the work or even introduce themselves into it (like sand painting in western Indian tribes). The way of painting is with powerful strokes and quick movements, to the point of making it in an automaton-like way. By automatism we understand the dramatic and unstoppable representation of the subconscious, just like the surrealists used to do it. This type of representation is known as abstract exprressionism, from which Jackson Pollock was the main representative, developing a new...
