FLY ME TO THE DUNE

As the summer sun warms the french coast, yeahbaby finds out why the dune du pyla, near bordeaux, is a paraglider playground

Ever since cave dwellers gathered around their fires, humans have dreamed of being able to fly as free as birds. And since the 1980s, when a few intrepid souls first ran down steep hillsides strapped into second-hand parachutes, paragliders have been recreating that experience.

The Dune du Pyla, about 45 minutes south of Bordeaux airport, is Europe’s largest sand dune – and the place for paragliding in Europe. Towering almost 110m over the Atlantic waves and stretching 3km from tip to tip, it’s made up of over 60 million square metres of sand. That’s one big sand pit for children of all ages to play on.

From April until September, the hot summer sun heats the flat land between Bordeaux and the Dune, drawing in cold air from the Atlantic. This causes a smooth sea breeze to blow in over the sand, creating perfect conditions for paragliders to learn their skills.

Over the last few years, paragliding wings have grown lighter, stronger and faster. Flights of more than 200km are not uncommon and the world-record distance currently stands at over 420km. But flying high and flying far isn’t enough for some pilots, with acrobatic competitions becoming increasingly popular. Competitors battle to pull off tricks with beguiling and deceptively gentle-sounding names like Misty Flip, Tail Slide and Infinity Tumble. In reality, these involve spinning the glider through 360 degrees, flying backwards and barrel rolling like a World War I fighter pilot. Not surprisingly, these moves are usually attempted high off the ground. At the Dune du Pyla, however, acrobatics are often done just metres – or even centimetres – above the sand. Here, students who are learning the ropes might well share the air with world-class acrobatic pilots taking their holidays on the French coast.

British paragliding instructor John Welch, who has been teaching students at the Dune du Pyla for 12 years, believes that there’s something magical about the place: “The Dune is like a skate park for paraglider pilots. You can do things here that would be unheard of anywhere else.”

Beginners can get a taste of what it’s like to fly over the sand and the water, using only the power of the sun. Local pilot Charlie Piccolo (who offers 10-minute tandem flights from €50) promises his tandem passengers a gentle flight in the softest of conditions, taking in a unique panorama of breaking waves, oyster beds and rolling sands. As a red-blooded Frenchman, Charlie feels no shame in seeking out the topless sunbathers and flying over to say hello. He is also a champion acrobatic pilot. For the adventurous customer willing to pay a few euros more, he will fling the passenger through a series of adrenalin-surging, low-level acrobatic moves known locally as wagga.

After a short briefing, the nervous passenger on a wagga-style tandem ride experiences a few seconds of calm and reassurance as the wind fills the wing, and pilot and passenger fly over the gently sloping sand. Then gravity loses hold, up becomes down and down becomes up. This is a roller-coaster without rails. The lines between sea, sand and sky blur and bend. Faster and faster the pilot swoops left and right across the sand – each pass lower and seemingly faster than the last. At times it is possible to reach out and run a hand through the sand, tilting towards the sky at an impossible angle. Everyone, but everyone, screams in either fear or delight. It really is just like a fast ride at the fair. When you’re on, you want to get off, but as soon as you get off, you want to get straight back on.

If you want to learn to fly, a one-week course in France (with a UK-based school) costs around €760, including tuition, kit hire and accommodation. The Dune can be hot, but anyone who’s fit enough to walk up a 100m hill can learn to fly to a basic level in a week or two. The reward can be fantastic. Imagine coming home from a week away and telling friends, truthfully, that you have learned to fly with the birds – and that you have an aircraft folded up in the boot of your car.

Some say that the perfect combination of sand, sea and wind at the Dune du Pyla affects even the flow of time itself. Welch tells of one student who was spending two weeks learning to fly at the Dune as a 40th birthday present. It seems he got so caught up in the relaxed vibe that he miscounted the last days of his thirties and celebrated in fine style in a local Michelin-starred restaurant, but on completely the wrong day. The hapless student only realised his mistake when his mum phoned to wish him happy birthday two days later!

IF YOU’D RATHER STAY EARTHBOUND

The Dune du Pyla offers plenty of distractions for non-flyers as well:

For young children there’s cycling along traffic-free lanes in the woods, a zoo (Route de Cazaux, La Teste, www.zoodubassindarcachon.com) and a waterpark (Routes des Lacs, Gujan Mestras, www.aqualand.fr) with 8 hectares of wet fun.

For bigger kids and grown-ups, there’s surfing at next door Biscarosse Plage, and bars with live music and salsa dancing at the inland beach of Etang Biscarosse (www.biscarrosse.com).

Finally, to continue with the flying theme, a trip to the nearby Museum of Sea Planes is a must (Musée de l’Hydraviation, 332 Avenue Louis Breguet, Biscarosse, www.asso-hydraviation.com).

UP, UP AND AWAY

Find out more about paragliding, including how to learn in the UK and abroad, from the British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (www.bhpa.co.uk).

Arrange a week or two learning to fly at the Dune with British paragliding school Flight Culture (www.flightculture.co.uk).

Find out about extreme low-level flying (including white-knuckle tandem rides) at Waggas School (www.waggaschool.com).

There are several sites for camping (French-style in luxury mobile homes) near the Dune, including Pyla-Camping, which also owns the main take-off area and is very accommodating to novice and experienced paraglider pilots alike. (www.pyla-camping.com).

HOLIDAY LIKE A WAG

BY LUCILLE HOWE
PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY

Footie’s biggest event is here and while some of us might be glued to our widescreens, waiting for the bit where they strip to their torsos and exchange shirts at the end (swoon!), others of us would rather take a long holiday.

Some of those gorgeous WAGs know how we feel and will trade football fields for sandy beaches to work on their tans. A good idea when England manager, Fabio Capello, has ordered the glamorous head-turners to stay away from South Africa and allow the lads to concentrate on their game. So, in the spirit of not distracting the boys, we packed our Juicy Couture track pants to bring you a comprehensive guide to where to holiday like a WAG… using some famous pap-loving WAGs as our muses.

Let’s start with Chezza Cole. Where do you go if you’re a “national treasure”, betrayed by a cheating ex and in need of a post-break-up blow-out with fellow single señoritas? Cheryl is a regular Marbella-ite and fan of the Ocean Club (Avenida Lola Flores S/N, www.oceanclub.es) and the jet-set marina of Puerto Banus is the perfect place to bag a new man. A few minutes’ walk from the front is the WAGtastic Buddha Beach Club (Villa Marina, Nueva Andalucia, www.buddhabeachbanus.com); all pristine white cabana beds and a VIP area with Jacuzzi. Last summer Tottenham players Aaron Lennon, David Bentley and Jermaine Jenas were spotted at the Balinese-inspired bar; Calum Best too (footie credentials: tick). If you’re there on 17 June, bring a hat, sip champers and watch Ascot Ladies Day with all your bessie girl mates; or between 2-11 July, watch the final stages of the World Cup perched at the tropical bar with a frozen margarita.

Single ladies may also like Barcelona’s Barceloneta Beach, with its volleyball players, capoeira hunks, and skateboarders and cyclists. Chiringuitos, or beach bars, pop up in summer, so you can flirt in the shade wearing a cut-out, fluoro, embellished swimsuit like Chezza’s £375 cozzie by designer Melissa Odabash. Opium (34 Paseo Marítimo, www.opiummar.com), Carpe Diem Lounge (32 Passeig Marítim, www.cdlcbarcelona.com) and Le Kasbah (1 Plaça de Pau Vila, tel: +34 932 380722) clubs are classy joints on the front and the Arts Hotel nearby is where Madonna stayed. Its Arola Restaurant (19-21 Marina, www.ritzcarlton.com) serves tapas made with ingredients from Barcelona’s La Boqueria Market.

If you’re in need of some yummy mummy downtime, your WAG to watch is Coleen Rooney. Wannabes should head to Levante Beach, toddler-waddling distance from the centre of Benidorm (about 45km north-east of Alicante) with a top blue flag rating. The sand slopes into the water gradually, making it perfect for little ones, while in the sea there’s an adventure platform for big kids, with swinging bridges, diving boards, rafts and slides. The council runs summer entertainment and bars screen kids’ films at siesta time, so you can leave baby with your mum and skip to award-winning Macrobiotic SHA spa (5 Verderol, El Albir, www.shawellnessclinic.com), 20 minutes away, for a day of watery pumelling in the hydrotherapy pools and lunch in the macrobiotic, organic, Asian-fusion restaurant.

If baby business gets tiresome, enjoy a meal à deux back in St Tropez, where Coleen was preggers. Yummy mummies should dine at the Caprice Des Deux (40 Rue du Portail Neuf, www.aucapricedesdeux.com). Part film-scene rustic glamour, part Parisian bistro, with dishes like zucchini flowers stuffed with lobster, it’s rated in every good-food guide and family owned.

And so to Victoria Beckham, the girl with a passport hotter than a Heston Blumenthal kitchen. Potential Poshes, we reckon Sardinia is your hotspot. VB has already holidayed on Sardinia’s Costa Smeralda, voted Europe’s Leading Beach in the World Travel Awards (voted by travel agents worldwide) and fellow former Spice Girl Geri has been larking around the coastline on a yacht with Henry Beckwith. The blingtastic Porto Cervo, at the centre of the Costa Smeralda, designed in the 1960s by the Aga Khan, is the place to window-shop for speedboats and dine in showy style.

If you lean toward posh Spanish glitz, it’s back to Marbella and the Puro Beach Club (Laguna Village, Playa el Padrón, Estepona, www.purobeach.com). Pick at lobster salad and spoon sorbet so it doesn’t disturb your Lancôme lip gloss. Posh wannabes should try the Californian massage (we know how much she loves LA!) at €87, then charter the private Puro jet to their sister club in Palma. Credit cards accepted.

Alex Curran is one of the new-breed WAGs and, with a column in magazine Closer, a career gal to boot. We reckon 9-5 escapees need a bit of old-school glam on their hols, so we’re sending Alex to Le Club 55 in St Tropez (Pampelonne Beach, Boulevard Patch, Ramatuelle, www.st-tropez-beach.com). This sultry beach club began in 1955, when Brigitte Bardot was filming And God Created Woman on Pampelonne Beach. The director asked a fisherman’s hangout if they could cook for the cast and the spot’s fate was sealed. Today the owner’s son is the chef and recommends a Niçoise salad. Wannabe glamour models will be thrilled to know the beach is liberal about topless sunbathing. The less brave may want to spend their time flirting with the moneyed to get them to charter one of the club’s yachts for hire.

Swap flip-flops for high heels at Café De Paris (Le Port, www.cafedeparis.fr), where Alex once spent (so we’re told) seven hours and drank five bottles of fizz, and Le Quai (22 Quai Jean Jaurès, www.joseph-saint-tropez.com), where she moved on to G&Ts. Once the hangover clears, she can drive her £175,000 Aston Martin (the same as the one driven by Daniel Craig in Quantum of Solace) to Cannes for Electronic Beach nights, where DJs play a mix of breakbeat, house, funk and hip-hip on Festival Hall Beach from 7.30pm -12.30am on 13, 20 and 27 July and 3 and 17 August (www.plageselectroniques.com).

If pampering is your priority, then how about some model behaviour, Abbey Clancy-style? At the Audax Spa and Wellness Hotel (Cala Galdana, Menorca, www.rtmhotels.com), the previous winner of Britain’s Next Top Model and fiancée of Peter Crouch could enjoy 700m2 of preening, including three swimming pools with partly submerged “beds” fitted with massaging water jets.

With these über-glam WAGs as mentors, it’s easy to enjoy summer without even mentioning the F-word. And, if your fella brings back a shiny trophy for his efforts, you can show him your golden glow.

Berge by bike

Graham Little pedals round the pastoral paradise that is Jersey… in an afternoon

Bwaap, bwaap, bwaaaang! Bwaap, bwa, bwa, bwaaang! Bwa, bwa, bwaaaang! Bwa, bwa, bwa, bwaaang!” Oh, will you please get out of my head, infernal Bergerac theme tune! You’re ruining my holiday.

For my generation, the satellite image of Jersey will forever morph into Jim Bergerac, though basing a cop series there for 10 years stretched the wilful suspension of disbelief. A peaceful island on which the maximum speed limit is 40mph (65kmph) and where you can only buy a house if you’ve lived there for the previous 12 years wouldn’t normally produce enough crime to fill a single episode, let alone 87.

Although Jim’s red Triumph Roadster is the best way to get around Jersey, its unavailability makes a bicycle the next best option. The island authorities have created miles of bicycle-priority lanes, along which the speed limit is 15mph (24kmph). By slightly exceeding that (but only where safe to do so, etc, etc…) you can loop the whole island in an afternoon.

Though it’s best not to set off in a gale – unless you’re a travel writer and have promised your editor a story about your attempt to loop ’round the island in an afternoon. In which case, pack your map in your waterproofs and head off anyway. But zip up your pocket, as the wind may remove your map and leave you hopelessly lost on an island that measures a mere14.5km x 8km.

This happened just half an hour along the south coast from the centre of St Helier, the island’s capital, but meant that when I arrived at Gorey, halfway up the east coast, I thought I was at the bottom corner of the island. The superbly detailed and expansive map I’d been studying the night before had completely thrown my perceptions of the size of the place.

I knew I was supposed to be following a Green Route that would bring me on a 64km lap of the coast and I picked up the signs in Gorey. Joy at finding the route was tempered by the fact that the signs pointed up a near-vertical hill overlooking the fabulous Mont Orgueill Castle. It was short but very sharp.

After the climb, which would’ve given ibex vertigo, I followed the route along peaceful country lanes further inland, surmising that if I kept the sea on my right I would loop the island and not get lost again. A fast descent through a gorge brought me to Rozel Bay, where a tiny harbour framed by cliffs breathes a gentle timelessness even on the stormiest of days.

After tackling the hill back up again, weather conditions deteriorated as the road flattened out and even some cows in a field were wearing raincoats. They did look ridiculous and more than a little embarrassed. Here’s a bizarre fact about Jersey’s Jersey cows: to avoid inbreeding, farmers are actually importing, ahem, the “essence” of Jersey bulls, so many of these Jersey icons are now only half made on the island.

Speeding cars are the curse of the cycling classes, which makes Jersey a paradise for those travelling on two wheels. The 40mph speed limit makes the island a very unlikely home for ex-Formula One drivers Nigel Mansell and Derek Warwick. How on earth did they get any practice?

I have long been intrigued by Jersey. Why are the locals so protective of a tax haven that enjoys more sunshine than anywhere else in the UK, has miles of beautiful beaches, fabulous culinary traditions, fascinating historic castles and museums, and has retained a classy reputation, avoiding the “sunny place for shady people” sobriquet that haunts Monaco and other places? I’m sure the answer is there somewhere.

Huffing across the north coast into the teeth of the gale, I rode along a lane called La Rue de Bel au Vent. Vent, oui. Bel, non. The five miles straight down the west coast to the southern bays of St Brelade and St Aubin, however, were wind-assisted and glorious. They took me past the cliffs where the neolithic people of Jersey (I haven’t been able to find a collective noun for the people of the island – perhaps Jersiacs?) used to drive woolly mammoths across the fields and over the edge to a crushing death on the rocks below. They’d struggle to drive them over now of course, what with the new 15mph speed limit…

From there I cycled above the beach all the way back to my base at the Waterfront in St Helier. Built on reclaimed land, the Waterfront is a modern development of marina, hotels, restaurants, apartments and an entertainment centre. Consider that. The locals are getting increasingly protective of their pastoral paradise – despite the fact that it’s actually getting bigger. That’s what I call selfish.

ESSENTIAL INFO

EATING & SLEEPING: We stayed at the Radisson Blu Waterfront Hotel, with truly amazing views. I took advantage of the hotel’s adventure package, with the hotel sorting my bike hire, an evening meal and an après-pedal massage. The package provides for two activities, so I also chose blowkarting, simply because I had never heard of it. It turned out to be sand yachting (see below). My extraordinarily delicious meal was served in the hotel’s excellent Waterfront Brasserie and Terrace.

I travelled with my wife and our baby, and the hotel saw to his every need, making this an excellent luxury family base with facilities including a gym and swimming pool.From £145 per room, inlcuding breakfast, The Waterfront, St Helier, tel: +44 (0)1534 671100, www.jersey.radissonblu.co.uk  

ACTIVITIES: For the adventurous, sand yachting (or blowkarting) is a must. Jersey Adventures (www.jerseyadventures.com) will provide you with a yacht and a brief bit of instruction. The speed is truly invigorating and very surprising.

Castles and museums will keep the cultured and curious busy, and gastronomes are in for a treat. As well as the Waterfront Brasserie, we ate at the Oyster Box in St Brélade (tel: +44 [0]1534 743311), where novelist Jack Higgins and golfer Ian Woosnam were fellow diners, and the North Point Bistro in St Ouen (tel: +44 [0]1534 483174). For more information and inspiration, go to www.jersey.com and www.cyclehirejersey.com

What’s on

THE BEST EVENTS FOR SUMMERTIME FUN AROUND THE NETWORK

BY MARK ROULSTON & GINNY CUMMING
PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY

GUITAR HEROES
EDINBURGH

Calling all would-be Angus Youngs and Eddie van Halens. Strap on your imaginary guitar, turn your invisible amp up to 11 and gurn your way to rock superstardom. This year sees the 15th annual UK Air Guitar Championships, whereby scores of eager young axe wielders and six-string heroines take to the stage in venues around the country in a bid to become the country’s high priest or priestess of make-believe guitar mastery. Last year Deku Chan, an Irishman with a name more apt for a James Bond baddy than an invisible guitar player, beat off the challenges of Brandy Brewer and the Eagle Air Band to walk away with the title of UK Air Guitar Champion. And on 12 June, eager punters in Edinburgh have the chance to emulate the great Mr Chan when Bannerman’s Bar in the centre of the city plays host to the Scottish heat of the competition.

For information about the competition and details on how to enter the Edinburgh heat, go to www.ukairguitar.com Bannerman’s Bar, 212 Cowgate, Edinburgh, tel: +44 (0)131 556 3254

TOE CURLING
EAST MIDLANDS

June 12 sees one of the UK’s more unusual competitions take place in the hauntingly beautiful Peak Districk national park. Held at the Bentley Brook Inn, just outside the village of Ashbourne (32km west of East Midlands airport), the World Toe Wrestling Championships see barefooted competitors interlock their big piggies and grapple for the honour of having the toughest toes since Big Foot last had a pedicure.

For more information, go to www.bentleybrookinn.co.uk

JAN KAPLICKÝ EXHIBITION
PRAGUE

The work of the late Czech architect, Jan Kaplický, comes under the spotlight with a major retrospective in Prague, running until 2 August in the capital’s DOX Centre for Contemporary Art, and featuring models and photographs of Kaplicky’s most iconic building and furniture designs. The architect, whose work often resembles something from 1960s sci-fi – think Barbarella – was responsible for the National Library in Prague and the media centre at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London, which looks like an intergalactic battlecruiser. Kaplický, who passed away in 2009, also designed the majestic, iconic Selfridges building in Birmingham.

DOX Centre for Contemporary Art, Poupětova 1, Prague, www.doxprague.org

FILM BUFF
PARIS

Fancy being the first in line to see the latest instalment of Toy Story? And who’s up for spending an evening or two in the company of film stars and über-babes Jane Fonda and Charlotte Rampling?

It’s that time of year again, and the eighth Festival Paris Cinema is offering cinema goers in the French capital everything from screenings of the latest Hollywood blockbusters and Q&A sessions with famous actors, to a retrospective of Japanese director Akira Kurosawa (Seven Samurai).

For aficionados of celluloid sleaze, the event kicks off with Nuit de Cinema (Night of Cinema) – an entire night dedicated to the works of Koji Wakamutsu (think the pervy In the Realm of the Senses) and US porn auteur Joe Sarno. Oh là là!

The Festival Paris Cinema runs from 3-13 July at various venues around Paris.

For more information, go to www.pariscinema.org/fr_1

SNAIL TRAIL
SARDINIA

The thought of eating snails may be as appetising to some as wolfing down last week’s leftovers, but Sardinia-bound adventurous eaters could do a whole lot worse than heading over to the village of Senis (97km south of the airport at Alghero) on the first Sunday of August for the Sagra Della Lumaga – a day-long feast of snail-slurping and merry-making.

TAKE A VIEW
DUBROVNIK

On a clear day you can see forever… well, almost. For those who want unrivalled panoramics of Dubrovnik, the days of slogging it up the endlessly winding paths to the top of Mount Syd are over.

From 1 June a cable car will run from the old town to the 412m summit of this rocky hulk, which towers over the attractive fortified city, in little over three minutes. At the top, visitors can look out on the pretty pitched roofs, countless church steeples and the glistening Adriatic Sea beyond.

And for those energetic types who have attempted the hour-long hike up the barren slopes of Syd, there is a restaurant where you can quench your undoubted thirst!

For more information, go to www.tzdubrovnik.hr/english/index.php

FESTIVAL HEAVEN
NICE

What could be more idyllic than chilling out and basking in the Mediterranean sun on your own island off France’s Cote d’Azur? Perhaps nothing. But being surrounded by thousands of like-minded souls listening to the hottest sounds this side of Eyjafjallajoekull’s lava flow comes a close second.

This summer the organisers of Les Voix du Gaou have pulled out all the stops to get the coolest bands to play what is arguably Europe’s most scenic festival.

From 17-29 July, the likes of enfants terribles Babyshambles, Skip the Use [below] and rockers Skunk Anansie will join reggae legends Toots and the Maytals on the isle of Le Brusc just off the coast at Six Fours les Plages, 160km south-west of Nice.

For further information, go to www.welovefestivals.com or www.voixdugaou.fr

Hey DJ

The grandmother of all turntablists scratches a living Filling the dance

BY MARK ROULSTON

THE OPENING BARS OF CARL ORFF’S O Fortuna are heard and the young, 500-strong crowd in Paris’s ultra-hip Queen’s nightclub whoop, whistle and cheer. As the song from the Old Spice advert reaches its crescendo, the familiar tune suddenly changes. A fractured dance beat is dropped in and the chic party-goers are whipped into an uncontrollable frenzy of dancing that lasts all night.

Welcome to the world of DJ Mamy Rock – or plain Ruth Flowers to her friends and family. Hers is a world no different from that of deck spinners the world over, but there’s something that sets Mamy Rock apart from the others… her age.

At 70, you would expect most grandmothers to be enjoying a cup of tea in a favourite armchair while watching Alan Titchmarsh, but Ruth prefers to spin phat beats for her adoring fans in the clubs of France, Germany and Italy.

“Wherever I go in Europe, I’m always mobbed,” she says. “I love seeing young people enjoy themselves so much. It gives me such a wonderful feeling to know that people respond to what I do.”

Combining modern breaks with rock licks from yesteryear, DJ Mamy Rock cuts quite a figure behind her decks. With diamanté-encrusted headphones, black-as-jet shades and gold bomber jacket, she looks as if she’s come straight from LA or the Bronx rather than her Bristol home.

“I love this look,” she says, “and it goes with the whole youth thing.”

Ruth’s epiphany came four years ago, at a party to celebrate her grandson’s birthday held in a London nightclub. The bouncer tried to warn her off going in.

“It was frightfully noisy, but everybody was dancing and having a good time. I said to myself: ‘I can do that.’ My grandson put me in touch with [French music producer and manager] Orel Simon. It was daunting at first and I was a little apprehensive, but with Orel’s help, I soon got the knack of the turntables and here I am today,” explains Ruth.

For those who think a 70-year-old DJ is a bit Pete Tong, DJ Mamy Rock has no plans to don a pair of comfy slippers and put her feet up. Her first single – Still Rocking – came out in May, while the summer months see festival appearances around Europe.

“I don’t intend to retire and pick up my knitting needles just yet. My family and friends love what I do. Why would I stop?” www.mamyrock.com

Wish We Were Here

NEW PARISIAN BOLTHOLE LE SEVEN PROMISES A FANTASY WORLD OF LUXURY AND MAKE-BELIEVE

IT’S HARDLY UNUSUAL FOR A BED TO PROVIDE the focus for a hotel room, but that’s where convention ends with brand-new Parisian design hotel, Le Seven.

The beds in each of this boutique hotel’s 21 “basic” rooms float a metre off the floor. Combined with a simulated starry-sky ceiling, ultra-violet highlights and bubble spotlights, this place paints a glowing picture of futuristic luxury.

From Philippe Vaurs and Christophe Sauvage (the creators of blogosphere favourite the Five Hotel), Le Seven has garnered a hot buzz for its edgy design concept even before its opening, slated for 1 July. No two of the hotel’s rooms are exactly alike and all but seven are levitation rooms, allowing guests to float like comfy clouds beneath a neon sky.

The hotel creators promise that this will engage a “unique sensation of lightness and love”. For those eager to really indulge a taste for fantasy, however, there are also the seven suites that give Le Seven its name – each crafted by a different designer and each with different themes and interactive features.

Top of the list for spy-hard Bond fans will be the 007 Suite. With its 60s décor, kinky steam-bath shower and choice of every James Bond movie on the TV, boys will be in retro heaven. Even more retro is the Marie Antoinette Suite – one for the ladies – with its padded white leather bed and pink chandeliers. Not forgetting the Alice in Wonderland Suite, where subtle nods to the Carroll story allow guests to feel that they have fallen down the rabbit hole.

Those who can tear themselves away will find themselves in the Latin quarter, 10 minutes from the intellectual glories of the Sorbonne or the peaceful Luxembourg gardens.

Hotel Seven, 20 rue Berthollet, 705005 Paris, France, tel: +33 (0)1 4331 7421, www.sevenhotelparis.com

Adrenaline Junkets

Three super-fly reasons to jet off to Prague this summer

BY MARK ROULSTON

CALLING ALL EXTREME SPORTS FANS. WONDERING where to get your kicks this summer? Clued-up thrill-seekers are hurtling over to Prague for what promises to be a gnarly couple of months.

The month of high-octane kicks starts during the first weekend in July, with more half-pipes and 50-50 grinds than you can shake a stick at. The 16th Mystic SK8 Cup (2-4 July; www.mysticsk8cup.cz) will see “thrashers” – professional skateboarders – from around the world jet in for three days of radness plus the chance to win 30,000 US greenbacks.

Taking place on Stvanice Island, which sits between the two banks of Prague’s Vtlava river, this festival of freestyle action also features skateboard workshops and some of the finest sounds around.

After those pounding few days, take a hook turn to the World Flying Disc (that’s frisbee to you and me) Federation Championships (www.wucc2010.com). This four-yearly competition comes spinning into town on 3 July, and 100 teams from the four corners of the globe will battle it out until July 10 for the honour of becoming world frisbee’s top dog.

The adrenalin really gets pumping again at the G2 Joyride festival (3-4 September; www.joyride.cz). A pot pourri of extreme sports in the centre of Prague, it features everything from wakeboarding, jet skiing and BMX to mountain biking, freediving and surfing. And if that’s not enough, there’s also paintball, breakdancing, archery, beach rugby, street football and, once the sun goes down, non-stop dancing courtesy of the Czech Republic’s finest DJs and bands. www.bentleybrookinn.co.uk

Crown Jewels

PRAGUE CASTLE SPARKLES WITH AN EXHIBITION OF SOME OF THE WORLD’S MOST COVETABLE BLING

BY MARK ROULSTON

OOZING STYLE AND BOUNDLESS CHIC, Cartier has been at the vanguard of haute couture longer than the Eiffel Tower has been elegantly lording it over Paris.

Since 1860, the French jeweller has crafted mind-blowingly beautiful pendants, rhinestone necklaces, rings, vanity cases and watches for royalty, movie stars, Russian oligarchs and others with more money than they know what to do with.

Now, visitors to Prague have the chance to feast their eyes on some of maison Cartier’s most opulent creations.

Running from 9 July to 17 October 2010 in this wonderful city’s Prague Castle, The Power of Style exhibition collects together more than 350 luxury pieces created throughout the fashion house’s prestigious and oh-so-bling history.

One of the many attractions on show in this former home of Bohemian kings and queens is a platinum stomacher brooch. Dating from 1907, this head-turning piece contains no fewer than eight sapphires and enough diamonds to fund a military coup in Africa.

Visitors to the exhibition will also get the chance to see a platinum and diamond bracelet [below], once owned by Hollywood star Gloria Swanson, and the Tutti Frutti necklace. Perhaps one of Cartier’s most striking works, with its emeralds of blue, green and red, this was specially made in 1936 for Daisy Fellowes, wife of Reginald Fellowes and heir to the Singer sewing-machine fortune.

Cartier heritage director Pierre Rainero says, “Cartier is extremely honoured to give visitors and the people of the Czech Republic the opportunity to admire these pieces, which reflect timeless Cartier style and expertise.” The Power of Style, The Prague Castle Riding School, Prague; seven days a week from 10am to 6pm, 325CZK (€12.50). For further information and tickets visit www.cartierexhibition.com

A Taste of Malta

With Eclipse, the third movie in the Twilight saga, set to hit the big screen in early July, we look at ways to stir a vampire’s blood on this Mediterranean island

BY RICHARD ZAHRA

1 NIGHT CRAWLERS

The hours of twilight provide the perfect cover for those who never sleep to blend in. Head to seaside promenades in places like Sliema, St Julian’s, Bugibba and Marsascal, go with the flow for a breezy stroll, then pop in to one of the open-air bars that throng the seafronts to suck on a Bloody Mary. Paparazzi Restaurant, 159 St George’s Road, St Julian’s, tel: +356 2137 4966

2 BLOOD-STIRRING ROMANCE

Take your loved one to Ghajn Tuffieha Bay, in the north-west of the island, the perfect spot to see blood-red sunsets. The cove is a molto bella crescent of golden sand cupped between hills and cliffs and, if you’re afraid you’ll act on your blood lust, the long flight of steps down to the beach is an effective crowd repellent. www.visitmalta.com

3 DARK DELIGHTS

It’d be bats not to stake your place to watch fireworks. Every summer weekend a couple of villages in Malta celebrate the festa of their patron saint. The displays turn the night sky into a kaleidoscope of flashing bursts and few can eclipse the impressive displays produced by villages such as Lija and Zebbug. www.visitmalta.com/village-festas

4 FANGS FOR THE MEMORIES

Suck the life out of every minute of your holiday and head to a disco, pub, salsa or rock bar in seaside towns such as Paceville, Sliema, Marsascala and Bugibba – or make like the locals and go to an open-air club to find your own Bella Swan at Gianpula or Numero Uno. www.guidetomalta.net/Activities-andEvents/malta-nightlife-clubbing

5 VAMP IT UP

Mdina, Malta’s ancient capital, is surrounded by massive walls and a maze of cobbled alleyways runs between gracious historic buildings, so old souls will feel at home. Make a triumphal entry into the Citta Notabile on a horse-drawn carriage from the Main Gate, then explore in the glow of lamplight before sinking into one of the gourmet restaurants – but you might want to avoid dishes made with garlic… The de Mondion Restaurant, The Xara Palace Relais & Châteaux, Misrad il-Kunsill, Mdina, www.xarapalace.com.mt

6 SUCK IT AND SEE

Like Count Dracula, the wine of Malta rests in a wooden cask and is kept out of sunlight, waiting until its time. Wine production here goes back 3,000 years, to the days of the Phoenicians. Hide from the sun and neck some of the local red stuff in the time-honoured art of wine tasting in the pleasant coolness of an ancient wine cellar. Marsovin, The Winery, Wills Street, Marsa, tel: +356 2182 4918, www.marsovin.com

7 TOOTHSOME

Sink your teeth into the delights of traditional Maltese treats and visit Busy Bee Confectionery and Coffee Shop at Msida seafront. This family-run establishment is renowned for the quality and impressive selection of its sweets, like the devilishly delicious ricotta kannoli and cassatella Siciliana. Busy Bee, 30 Ta’ Xbiex Seafront, Msida, tel: +356 2133 1738, www.busybee.com.mt

8 CITY OF THE DEAD

Not everyone gets to live forever, you know. Back in 3rd century Roman Malta, early Christians hewed passageways, halls and burial chambers in the rock below Rabat, then laid their dead in decorated chambers. St Paul’s Catacombs, St Agatha Street, Rabat, www.heritagemalta.org

9 INTERVIEW WITH THE VESSEL

Scoop up a bit of sand (as you know, a vampire can never leave terra firma) and embark on the Fernandes. This 26m rigged vessel will sail you to St Paul’s Islands. Swim, dine on deck and sail back to the floodlit fortifications of the Grand Harbour. Captain Morgan Cruises, Dolphin Court, Tigne Seafront, Sliema, www.captainmorgan.com.mt

10 TWILIGHT: ECLIPSE

Be sure to catch the much-awaited The Twilight Saga: Eclipse like any normal mortal. Sink into plush seats in the stadium-like Eden Cinemas and lap up the next installment. Eden Cinemas, St George’s Bay, St Julian’s, tel: +356 2371 0400, www.edencinemas.com.mt

A day at the bay

watergate bay is one of Cornwall’s most famous – and fabulous – beaches, revered by families, foodies and fun-loving adventure-seekers alike. we spent a few hours at the home of the extreme Academy and Jamie Oliver’s sublime restaurant, Fifteen cornwall

BY GINNY CUMMING
PHOTOGRAPHY SIMON KEITCH

9.30AM
A day at the Bay really gets going when the RNLI lifeguards start their shift. The popularity and sheer size of Watergate Bay demand three people patrol the 2km-long sweep of beach on a normal day, with the number rising to five or six during peak season. Today, Stephen Daley (28), Jack Butler (19) and Kerk Latham (22) are on duty, and first on their long list of things to do is the daily pre-op equipment check. While Stephen and Kerk give jetskis, lifejackets and long-range radios a thorough going-over, Jack heads off in the truck to set up various signs and the all-important flags (red-and-yellow for swimmers and body boarders, black-and-white for wave skis and surfboards). “They’re moved throughout the day in accord with the changing conditions,” says Jack [above], who is in his third year as a professional lifeguard. “We do a lot of ‘shepherding’ – keeping people between the appropriate flags. Most of our call-outs could be prevented if people would just stick to the golden rule: swim between the flags!”

10.00AM
Tassy Swallow, 16, from St Ives, exits the water after completing her heat in the Under-18 girls’ final of the English National Surfing Championships. There’s a surf competition almost every weekend throughout summer in Cornwall. National and international surf stars compete along with local talent like Tassy, making it a great spectacle for fans of the sport. So any tips from the youngster who’s already been surfing for eight years? “Respect the other surfers, and stick at it – it gets more fun!”

11.15AM
The front of house team at Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen Cornwall holds its daily pre-lunch briefing. The menu changes daily – in accord with the availability of fresh produce – so these meetings are vital to ensure everyone’s up to speed and service runs smoothly. The restaurant is rightly famous for its genius mission – to empower young people in need of a second chance by training them as chefs – and of course its amazing food.

11.45AM
The sight of newlyweds walking hand-in-hand on the beach – still kitted out in their wedding finery – brings a smile to everyone’s face. The Hotel & Extreme Academy, which stands sentinel above the Bay, is a glorious location for a reception, and guests can stay in the hotel’s 69 beautiful rooms (hey, if it’s good enough for Prince William!). Adrenalin-pumping activities are also on offer here, including surfing, kitesurfing and waveskiing.

Tel: +44 (0)1637 860543, www.watergatebay.co.uk

Tel: +44 (0)1637 861000, www.fifteencornwall.co.uk

12.30PM
It’s not just people who love this beach – there are plenty of four-legged fans as well. We spot at least a dozen lovely mutts scampering across the sands during our day at Watergate Bay – including a friendly springer spaniel [above], and two huskies playfighting with a Lagotto Romagnolo, an Italian breed that’s traditionally bred as a water retriever, but also trained to hunt for truffles. They’re admired by the sweetest Japanese toddler who’s almost lifted off the ground by the kite he’s flying!

1.00PM
Lunch is well underway at Fifteen Cornwall and the chefs are hard at work in the kitchen (black hats for the professionals, white hats for the trainees). Cornish fisherman’s stew (with lemon sole, brill, John Dory, mussels, squid, chick peas, agretti and laverbread aioli) is one of today’s mouth-watering offerings. The three-course set menu (for just £26) often features hand-dived scallops. But as they come straight from the ocean, delivery time can vary wildly – sometimes after service has already started!

1.30PM
In the lead-up to her big day in Gloucestershire on 10 July, London-based bride-to-be Lucy McKenzie has come to Cornwall with 10 of her best mates. Central to the weekend hen party is a three-hour learn to surf lesson. “All you need is a swimsuit, a towel and a shot of Dutch courage,” the girls laugh, while getting stuck into a bottle of bubbles. The promise of post-surf hot chocolates laced with rum and a slap-up cream tea helps too! O’Neill Surf Academy, tel: +44 (0)1841 520052, www.oneillsurfacademy.co.uk

2.00PM
It never stops for Watergate Bay’s lifeguards: a novice surfer has landed awkwardly on his first outing on a board, dislocating a shoulder in the process. “We see a lot of dislocations like this – and sore heads when people get hit by boards during wipe-outs,” explains senior beach lifeguard, Stephen Daley [right]. Patient despatched to the local hospital, Steve then surveys the beach from the hut using powerful binoculars and a well-trained eye. Originally from South Africa (but with no trace of an accent!), Steve has been with the RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) for five years, and his deep suntan attests to a life spent on the beach. Internationally recognised lifeguard qualifications (such as NARS, the National Aquatic Rescue Standard) mean lifeguards are eligible to work on the beach pretty much anywhere in the world. “The season in Newquay begins at Easter and runs until the end of September, and you find that many lifeguards travel during the ‘off season’ – going on surfing holidays or working on beaches overseas in places like Australia and New Zealand. It’s not unusual to be in a far-flung tropical destination and bump into fellow lifeguards from back home!” Steve has also participated in a lifeguard exchange, working in New Zealand with another British lifeguard for a 16-week season, while two Kiwis patrolled beaches in the UK. It’s a great life for an ocean-loving, outdoorsy type of person; truly a dream job for many – even if you don’t particularly like the water! As Steve says: “It’s all about education and prevention – a good lifeguard doesn’t get wet!”

2.40PM
Richard (26), a kitesurfer from Brighton, launches into the water in spectacular style… but not before extolling the virtues of his beloved sport. He has been coming to Cornwall for years, but his passion for kitesurfing only took hold four years ago. “You’d be surprised how quickly you can become proficient in this sport,” he says. “A few lessons and a one- or two-week holiday spent kitesuring every day and you’ll quickly get good.” He’s noticed that kitesurfing seems to scare girls -even hardcore surfers – but insists it’s not as daunting as it looks. “It’s not about power or strength, it’s all about technique,” he explains. It’s all about money, too – this is not a cheap hobby: “A brand new kite will set you back about £800 (and you really need two kites to cope with different conditions), a board is roughly £400 or £500, while a harness is about £80.” With so much money going towards equipment, Richard often camps out when he comes to Cornwall, but this weekend he’s staying in a flat at nearby Fistral Beach. Finally, his favourite haunts for a night out? “Anywhere here at Watergate Bay, plus I also like the Chy Bar, opposite the Walkabout in Newquay.” The Chy Bar & Kitchen, 12 Beach Road, Newquay, Cornwall, TR7 1ES, tel: +44 (0)1637 873415.

3.30PM
A few steps back from the bay, The Phoenix Bar and Restaurant – a super-casual beach hangout much loved by locals – is packed. Emma (29), Anna (28) and Ian (30) are all recovering from a big night celebrating Ian’s birthday at a pie and ale festival (where there was “a distinct lack of pie, but lots of ale!”). They all used to work at Watergate Bay – it’s how they met – and regularly catch up for Sunday drinks on the Phoenix’s large timber deck (“It’s a brilliant suntrap”). These days, Emma [below] is a doctor, Anna’s a teacher and Ian [top, with Anna] is a carpenter. “We’ve got proper jobs – when did that happen?” he laughs. “I want to work on the beach again!” Even so, it’s a great lifestyle in Cornwall: “In summer you finish work at 5pm, go for a surf and then have a beer… five nights a week!” The Phoenix Bar and Restaurant, tel: +44 (0)1637 860353, www.phoenixwatergate.co.uk

B&B bliss

Hands up if you’ve never stayed at a B&B, turned off by visions of fussy florals and Hyacinth Bucket-wannabes fretting over octogenarian guests? Seavista will banish this notion forever and make you a total B&B convert. Here, it’s all about total relaxation and a contemporary, casual style inspired by the beach. Just round the corner from Watergate Bay in Mawgan Porth, Seavista is run by husband-and-wife team Ozzie and Kate (and their little dog, Mojo). Staying here is like staying with exceptionally kind, welcoming friends – as well as laying on scrumptious breakfasts (all made to order using locally sourced produce), Kate and Ozzie will even act as chauffeurs if you need a lift! Extra touches like this are all included in the amazing tariff: just £30 or £35 per person per night, even during peak season (children under two free; 50% off for 3–11-year-olds). Seavista Hotel, Mawgan Porth, Cornwall, TR8 4AL, tel: +44 (0)1637 860276, www.seavista.co.uk

Things to do this Summer

Travel is adventure – and what’s more adventurous than trying something new? Here’s a half-century worth of ideas to get you started

BY SARAH WARWICK & MARTA PUIGDEMASA
PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY, CORBIS

01 ALGHERO
GO CAVE DIVING

Sardinia is the European capital for cave diving. Sample the delights of underwater cavern exploration at the Pool Diving School in Alghero. 1 Via Vittorio Emanuele, www.pooldiving.com

02 ALMERIA
TELEPORT TO THE DESERT

Watch a circus or a belly-dancing show in La Haima, two Moroccan tents located all summer amid desert scenes like those in the Sahara – if it wasn’t for the Mediterranean just two feet away. 49km east of Almeria, Playa del Arco, Los Escullos (Níjar), www.haimaescullos.com

03 ALICANTE
LOOK UP

Orion, Andromeda, Urano, Casiopea… Alicante has about 50 streets with astronomical names. For the annual Perseids meteor shower (this year the peak night is between 12-13 August) the local astronomy society organises an outdoor stargazing event. Find the street names mirrored in the sky. www.ciaa-alicante.org, tel: +34 610 011243

04 AMSTERDAM
CYCLE NAKED

Break the pollution cycle and endorse renewable energies with your naked body in Amsterdam’s celebration of the World Naked Bike Ride! Meet at 1pm on12 June at Amstel Railway Station. www.worldnakedbikeride.org

05 AMSTERDAM
RENT A HOUSEBOAT

Why spend your holidays in an ordinary hotel in Amsterdam, when you can stay in a houseboat and sail along the canals, while having breakfast, for about the same price? www.houseboatamsterdam.nl

06 BARCELONA
SHOOT ‘EM UP

Start your boozy night with a “panther milk” shot (made of gin and milk) in Carrer de la Mercè (look for leche de pantera on the blackboards of the street’s bars). Then head towards Las Ramblas and reach Kiosco La Cazalla (at the crossroads of Arc del Teatre and Las Ramblas), the only place in Barcelona where it’s still legal to drink in the street. Their speciality is the cazalla shot (a dry anise liqueur). Short but sweet. Finally, dive into Raval quarter to drink up an absinthe shot at Bar Marsella (65 Calle Sant Pau). After that, expect the unexpected!

07 BARCELONA
KNIT IN THE PARK

All you knit is love, yarn and a pair of knitting needles. They will provide you with cookies, tea and help with your stitches, either in their weekly meetings at their workshop or in Barcelona Knits’ summery meet ups in bars, terraces and parks. On 12 June (World Wide Knit in Public Day) they’re running an outdoor knitting marathon in the city streets. All You Knit Is Love, 8 Calle Barra de Ferro, tel: +34 93 310 7180, www.Lallana7.blogspot.com, barcelonaknits.blogspot.com

08 BELFAST
CAPTURE THE CASTLE

You can be king of the castle with your dirty rascals, at Belfast Castle’s Adventurous playground for 3–14 year olds, with its conquerable replica castle, zip-line and scramble nets. www.belfastcastle.co.uk

09 BELFAST
EXPLORE YOUR CREATIVITY

The re-opening of the much-loved Crescent Arts Centre has given visitors a chance to experience taster sessions in everything from body poppin’ and cheerleading, to script writing and comedy improv. 2-4 University Road, www.crescentarts.org

10 BIRMINGHAM
GET THE KIDS INTO SHAKESPEARE

To go or not to go? There’s no question about it when you can catch the specially edited Young Person’s version of Shakespeare’s Hamlet at The Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. The play is performed on various dates during August and September, just a 40-minute drive from Birmingham airport. www.rsc.org.uk

11 BIRMINGHAM
LEARN TO FISH

Ever longed for a day by the water’s edge, casting your line and waiting for a bite, but don’t know one end of a fishing rod from the other? Try a beginner’s fly-fishing course at the Pitsford Reservoir, an hour from Birmingham Airport. www.flyfishingacademy.co.uk

12 BOURNEMOUTH
SALUTE THE RED ARROWS

The RAF’s famous acrobatic display team is just one of the high-flying highlights of Bournemouth’s free annual Air Festival, 19–22 August. www.bournemouthair.co.uk

13 BOURNEMOUTH
EAT NETTLES (OR MAYBE JUST WATCH!)

Missed British National “Be Nice to Nettles Week” (we’re not joking)? Pay a visit to Dorset’s annual nettle-eating contest on 19 June at The Bottle Inn in Marshwood, near Bridport (54km from Bournemouth Airport). Ouch! The B3165, Marshwood, Dorset, tel: +44 (0)1297 678254.

14 BORDEAUX
GLUG A LOAD OF WINE

When in Bordeaux, sample some of its namesake vintages at this year’s Fête le Vin (24-27 June). Two tasting tickets cost €20, which includes 12 tastings, and two souvenir glasses and glass holders. www.bordeaux-fete-le-vin.com  

15 BORDEAUX
LEARN MODERN DANCE

From 21-26 September, the sleepy beach town of Arcachon, 65km west of Bordeaux, goes modern-dance crazy. The Cadences Festival has workshops for all abilities, with classes conducted out on the beach. Don’t forget your jazz hands! www.arcachon.com

16 CARDIFF

Junior eco-lovers will enjoy the Family Bat Walk at Cardiff’s St Fagans Museum (7.30-9.30pm, 3 September). Bring a torch, flask and sensible shoes for this trek through the museum’s woodland in search of the little guys. Booking essential! www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/whatson

17 CARDIFF
GET WET AND WILD

When the British summer gets hot (we hope!), cool off by thundering through the rapids at the newly opened Cardiff International White Water sports centre in Cardiff Bay. www.ciww.com

18 DUBROVNIK
TALK LIKE A PIRATE

Avast, me hearties! Celebrate International Talk Like a Pirate Day on 19 September with a visit to the Dubrovnik Aquarium and Maritime Museum at St John’s Fortress. You can check out the fish and the ancient collections of maps, knives, duelling pistols and other pirate booty. Arrrrrrrr. www.dubrovnik-online.com/english/museum.php

19 EAST MIDLANDS
STROLL BAREFOOT

Kick off those socks and shoes and check out the new barefoot walk at the Conkers Discovery Centre in the National Forest, 10km from East Midlands Airport. The B586, near Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Derbyshire, www.visitconkers.com

20 EAST MIDLANDS
RELEASE YOUR INNER GODDESS

For those in search of pure relaxation, Goddess Camp is the way forward. With workshops in healing, crafts and dance, you can Charleston or massage your worries away. It takes place from 13-15 August in the Soar Valley, near Mountsorrel, half an hour from East Midlands Airport. www.goddess-camp.com  

21 EDINBURGH
WORK ON YOUR NOVEL

Literary-minded folk won’t want to miss the Edinburgh International Book Festival (14-30 August), with daily workshops on poetry and novel writing. Perhaps you could be the next Ian McEwan or Zadie Smith? www.edbookfest.co.uk

22 EDINBURGH
MAKE A BRASS RUBBING

The Edinburgh Brass Rubbing Centre, in a 15th-century church and hospital, offers a great range of monumental facsimile brasses from which to choose, including medieval knights, Scottish Pictish symbols and Celtic designs. No previous experience required! Open April to October, 10am-5pm, Monday to Saturday (and 12-5pm on Sundays in August). Trinity Apse, Chalmers Close, Royal Mile, tel: +44 (0)131 556 4364, www.edinburgh.gov.uk

23 FARO
PIMP YOUR SANDCASTLE

Scientists say the magic formula for making a sandcastle is eight parts sand to one part water. Sound easy? Have a go during the FIESA mega sand-art festival, held annually at the village of Pêra, about 20 minutes from Faro. This year’s theme is the fauna and flora of the five continents, so dig up your kids’ natural history book and get to work. From 22 May to 22 October there are sand sculptures and activities for all ages every day from 10am-8pm. Adults, €8; children, €4.50. www.fiesa.org

24 FARO
WEAR LEATHER TROUSERS

Come for rock ‘n’ roll music, tattooed bodies, leather waistcoats and motorbike rumbles. Roger Hodgson (ex-Supertramp) is topping the music bill of the Faro International Motorcycle Rally (15-18 July), renowned in Europe for being one of the biggest of its kind. Expect erotic shows, tattoo and Miss Wet T-Shirt contests, and the long-awaited show of the most bizarre and pampered motorbikes ever. Dude. www.motoclubefaro.pt

25 GLASGOW
JOIN A LITERARY TREASURE HUNT

Each week, new books are released in Glasgow’s streets, tube stations, parks and other public spaces for you to grab. Track down one you like, pick it up, read it and pass it on! The whole city is a library. www.bookcrossing.com

26 GLASGOW
GO JUGGLING FOR FREE

Throw the ball up. Catch it. And toss it up again. Right, you’ve got it. Now, grab another ball and toss that up too. It’s getting tricky, right? It’s just a matter of practice. The Glasgow Juggling Club is open to everyone, from juggling virgins to real live circus performers. There’s always someone to give you a hand and they have all sorts of books and props to help you out. It’s open 7.30–9.30pm every Wednesday – there’s a £2 charge (£1 for under-16s), but your first time is free! 76 Kelbourne Street, www.glasgowjugglingclub.com

27 JERSEY
TAKE IT OUTSIDE

Like no other film festival, Jersey’s boutique Branchage Festival (23-26 September) pushes the definition of a cinema, with film screenings anywhere and everywhere, including some of the island’s most iconic landmarks. www.branchagefestival.com

28 KNOCK
GO TO THE RACES

Get an authentic equestrian experience at one of West Ireland’s local courses. County Mayo’s Ballinrobe racecourse, set in beautiful countryside, is just hour from Knock Airport and holds races twice a month. Entry costs €15. www.goracing.ie

29 LISBON
GO SKINNY-DIPPING

Reachable by a half-hour train journey from Cais do Sodré Station in Lisbon, Praia Santo Amaro de Oeiras hosts beach volleyball and football, and has a couple of snack bars fringing the beach. However, it’s the beach’s night-time illumination and proximity to Lisbon that makes this spot your best bet for an underneath-the-stars bathe (with or without your cossie).

30 LISBON
MAKE A HORROR MOVIE SOUNDTRACK

The guys from the MotelX horror film festival know the power of an eerie soundtrack, so they’re introducing kids to the concept in horror music workshops. The festival takes place from 29 September to 3 October (the soundtrack workshops take place from 30 Sept) and all films are subtitled. Cinema São Jorge, 175 Avenida da Liberdade, www.motelx.org

31 LOURDES
SQUEAL LIKE A PIGLET

At La Pourcailhade: La Fête du Cochon on 8 August, people can eat huge quantities of saucisson, watch piglets race and even compete to win a squealing championship! Head for the tiny French village of Trie sur Baise, just an hour north-east of Lourdes Airport. www.pourcailhade.com

32 MAHON
GIDDY-UP!

So, you’ve been inspired by Mare de Deu de Gràcia, Menorca’s famous equestrian festival (3-12 September), where the island’s experienced horsemen joust and dance on horseback? Then why not explore the island on horseback yourself? Santa Rita, a finca (farm) in the island’s centre, runs custom tours geared to your ability. www.menorcaacavall.com

33 MALAGA
WALK ON WATER

Come and try it at the Lake of Istan (66km from Málaga) on an aquaskipper, a human-powered hydrofoil. All you have to do is bounce to go across the lake! 46 minutes from Málaga, The Safari Shop, Avenida Naciones Unidas, Cristamar Shopping Centre, Puerto Banus, Marbella , www.thesafarishop.com

34 MALAGA
VISIT THE LAKE DISTRICT

No, not the one in Cumbria, but Málaga. Andalucia’s stunning El Chorro Gorge is just a scenic, 45-minute train ride from Málaga Station and is a great spot for climbing, kayaking, wildlife watching or just taking in the amazing scenery. www.andalucia.com/antequera/chorro/home.htm

35 MALTA
SPEND A NIGHT IN A MUSEUM

The night of 25 September will be a sleepless night for Malta’s capital city, Valletta. All museums, art galleries and cultural institutions will be open and free of charge until the early hours, ensuring entertainment in every corner of town. www.nottebiancamalta.com

36 MALTA
HAVE A MIDNIGHT FEAST

On 29 June, join the all-night party at Buskett Gardens in Rabat, 15 minutes west of Malta’s airport, where people will gather for Imnarja, the local festival of St Peter and St Paul, to dance and feast all night on fenkata (rabbit stew). www.carnaval.com/malta/festivals

37 MANCHESTER
STEP BACK IN TIME

Attend a Victorian tea party in a beautiful park, where 19th-century dress is the favoured attire, musicians play classical tunes and Victorian party games are played. It all awaits visitors to the Strawberry Tea Party in Platt Fields Park, Manchester, 2-5pm on 19 June, on the lawns in front of Platt Hall. www.plattfields.org

38 MANCHESTER
GO RHINO CRAZY!

In recent years the world has gone cow crazy, with life-sized statues taking over towns in public art events. Following in the hooves of these brilliant bovines, the streets of Chester (40 minutes from Manchester) will play host to a rhino parade, with up to 70 painted rhino statues on display from 5 July to 12 September. Join the herd and track down the rhinos using the trail map. www.rhinomania.co.uk

39 MURCIA
DO SOMETHING WHEELY GOOD

Visit Salinas Natural Park, one of Spain’s most important wetland areas for local and exotic birds, on board a Segway: a two-wheeled, self-balancing electric vehicle. Fun guaranteed! Natoural Segway, tel: +34 659 255176, www.natouralsegway.com

40 NEWQUAY
TOUR A NATIONAL TREASURE

Cornwall’s Minack Theatre (about 80km from Newquay) is known for its sensational cliff-top setting, where audiences can enjoy productions with sun and sea as backdrop. The recent addition of a museum and teashop means that even those without a show ticket can now enjoy the view – and a Cornish cream tea too! Porthcurno, near Penzance, www.minack.com

41 NEWQUAY
LEARN TO SURF

Cornwall is Britain’s surf capital, but if you’re more of a spectator, Boardmasters – Newquay’s surf-skate-music festival (4-8 August) – gives all the excitement with none of the wipeouts. Rad. www.relentlessboardmasters.com

42 NICE
STROKE A DOLPHIN

Get up close to these bottlenosed beauties at France’s biggest water park, Marineland Côte d’Azur – 12km from Nice – with one of its Meet the Animals programmes. The park, famous for its aquariums and animal shows, is celebrating its 40th birthday this year with two new additions to its menagerie – polar bears Raspoutine and Flocke. Antibes, www.marineland.fr

43 PALMA DE MALLORCA
GO TOTALLY QUACKERS

Do you take to swimming like a duck to water? Every year in Mallorca, more than 3,000 yellow toy ducks are thrown into the sea for locals to grab. Dive into the Mediterranean waters and capture one of these trophies – years ago they used live ducks, but these have been replaced with plastic ones – less fun but easier to catch! The event takes place at midday on 15 August in C’an Picafort, in front of the Mar y Paz Hotel, 2 Calle Isabel Garau, 60km north-east of Palma, www.canpicafort.costasur.com

44 PALMA DE MALLORCA
MAKE A WATERMELON LANTERN

Empty out a watermelon, etch an original drawing on the outer rind, place a candle inside… and then join the popular Festa de les Llanternes parade that takes place every year in the town of Alcudia (40 minutes from Palma). Local children walk through Alcudia’s streets singing traditional songs and carrying their DIY lanterns in honour of St Bartolome. This year’s parade starts at 9.15pm on 24 August. If you don’t have enough time for doodles, a quick and effective alternative is to stick a candle in a red pepper! Once lit, the effect is gorgeous. Meet in front of Alcudia’s town hall, 9 Calle Major, www.saraualcudienc.cat

45 PARIS
DANCE WITH A FIREMAN

Bastille Day, France’s national holiday, always goes off with a bang in Paris. This year, a military parade (with jet fly-by), fireworks, Gay Ball and the “Incredible Picnic” along the Champs-Elysées, are just some of the spectacular events planned for 14 July. But the hottest Bastille Day bashes would have to be the parties held by the fire brigade at fire stations all around the city. Get there at 8pm on 13 or 14 July… and frolic with French firemen until dawn the following day! www.pompiersparis.fr

46 PARI S
PLAY DRESS UP

Fashion Freak, coming in July, is a fashion show that’s something between a catwalk, a circus, a nightclub and a dance show. It’s also a styling session: let make-up artists and hairstylists make you over, before a photographer captures the pimped-up you on film. www.fashionfreak.es

47 PERPIGNAN
JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE UNIVERSE

In 1963, on a visit to Perpignan, surrealist artist Salvador Dali declared that the city’s railway station was the centre of the universe, as he always got his best ideas while sitting in the waiting room. Pay a visit to this inspirational spot and pay homage to the monument in Dali’s honour and the sign on one of the main platforms, which reads, “Perpignan: Centre du Monde” (Perpignan: Centre of the World). 1 Avenue du Général de Gaulle.

48 PRAGUE
GO ALL HIGHBROW

A soprano opera singer is hosting a musical party at 8pm on 9 July at her splendid 20th-century salon, Villa Amerika, and you’re invited. This is the storyline behind an evening of musical riches, in which beautiful arias and melodies by Czech composer Dvorak will ring out in the baroque summer palace that also houses a museum dedicated to him. Tickets cost 575CZK (€22.50). Villa Amerika, Dvorak Museum, 20 Ke Karlovu, tel: +42 (02) 298 214.

49 TOULOUSE
BE PASSIONATE

Grab your partner, stick a rose between your teeth and cut a rug with a passionate tango. If the idea appeals but you don’t know your salidas from your sentadas, head to Toulouse from 7-11 July. The city’s tango collectives will be giving free lessons (among other activities) in the streets of the city every day from 4-7.30pm during the Tangopostale festival. www.tangopostale.com

50 VENICE
GO JOGGING

There’s no excuse to let a pasta-happy Italian holiday ruin your fitness regime! See a new side to Venice with an early morning running tour and catch all the sights before other lazy tourists are out of bed. www.runningtouritaly.com

About 190km west of the Italian peninsula lies Sardinia, an emerald jewel in the sea. Conquer it with our map and guide

BY INDIA STURGIS/JESSICA PIKE
ILLUSTRATIONS BY SPENCER WILSON

SARDINIA HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN AS slippery to keep hold of as its fishy namesake, being invaded over the last 1,000 years by everyone from the Romans and ancient Egyptians to the Spanish and even the Austrians. This legacy ensures that, despite being peacefully subsumed into Italy for the last 250 years, the island is still home to an exciting and exotic mishmash of cultures.

This is particularly true of Alghero’s Old Town, where renaissance, Venetian, Moorish and gothic styles of architecture vie for the wandering vistor’s attention. The Old Town’s dramatic bastioni, or city walls, were built to keep out would-be invaders – a fact that today’s visitor, peacefully sipping a locally distilled lemoncello at a local café, may find hard to imagine.

Nicknamed Little Barcelona, the city spent 400 years under the governance of Spain and is still renowned for its Catalonian style of architecture, cuisine and language.

It’s not just a haven for culture buffs though. Foodies can savour fresh seafood, spit-roasted suckling pig and Sardinian cheese (distinct and unforgettable thanks to the wild herbs on which the island’s sheep graze), while adventure lovers can go deep-sea cave diving at the underground Grotta di Nereo and explore a spectacular coastline.

As countless conquistadors have discovered, there are plenty of reasons to invade this charming part of the world.

ALGHERO ‘ S OLD TOWN

1 RISTORANTE MABROUK

4 Via Santa Barbara, tel: +39 347 239 0093 Down a cobbled side street, this homespun fresh-fish restaurant serves a four-course set menu, which reassuringly varies with the day’s catch. About €40 per person including wine.

2 TRENINO CATALANO

From Alghero Harbour, tel: +39 336 691836 Get your bearings with a trundle around the Old Town on this little red and yellow tourist train. Adults, €5; children, €3. Departures daily from the harbour, every 30 minutes from 10am (with a break for siesta).

3 LA CORALLINA

79/81 Via Roma, tel: +39 (0)79 979064 Alghero is famous for its coral jewellery, gathered from offshore reefs. Try this jeweller on the main shopping street for this local specialty, avoiding the hours of 1-3pm, when most shops close for siesta.

4 PORT OF ALGHERO

Porto di Alghero, www.marinadisantelmo.it Just a medieval stone’s throw from Alghero’s centre is this picturesque port. Enjoy a wander past its floating piers and admire the brightly coloured fishing boats.

5 ENODOLCIARIA DI RENZO DETTORI

24 Via Simon, tel: +39 (0)79 979741, www.enodolciaria.it Sardinian honey, organic wine and pickled vegetables are just some of the delicacies on sale at this favourite local deli. You might only pop in for a look, but you’ll be sure to leave laden with goodies.

6 THE ANDREA JENSEN SAILING BOAT

Porto di Alghero, www.ajsailing.com Enjoy the clear waters, sea breeze and rugged Sardinian coastline aboard this traditional wooden sailing boat. Lunch and snorkelling equipment are included. Day trip: adults €99, children €49.

7 MARE NOSTRUM AQUARIUM

1 Via XX Settembre, tel: +39 (0)79 978333, www.aquariumalghero.it Visit tankfuls of Mediterranean fish, from deadly sharks to sea horses. Make sure you stop to “sea” the lethal stonefish and giant sea turtle too. Adults, €8; children, €5.

8 FOOD MARKETS

Via Sassari The smell of ripe fruit lingers in the air at this local fruit and vegetable market. Go early to get the best pick of produce, including fresh vegetables, fruit and fish. Every day, 8.30am – 1pm.

9 ST MARY’S CATHEDRAL

Piazza Duomo, tel: +39 (0)79 979222 A prime example of gothic-Catalan architecture, Alghero’s small but perfectly formed cathedral has a sandstone bell tower and marble interior. Don’t miss a trip to the unusual Catalan goldsmithery, housed in St Mary’s sacristy.

10 RISTORANTE NETTUNO

4 Via Maddalanetta, tel: +39 (0)79 979774 Soak up the hustle and bustle of marina life by securing a table on this Italian restaurant’s balcony. Enjoy the traditional Italian fare with seafood, but be prepared for higher-than-usual prices for the view.

OUTSIDE ALGHERO

MORES RACEWAY
(70km from Alghero) Su Sassu, Mores, www.autodromosardegna.net Calling all petrol heads! This racetrack in Mores is perfect for satisfying your need for speed. Burn rubber in fast cars or super-bikes, or watch the action from the 3,000-person capacity grandstand. From €30 for a 25 minute drive.

GROTTA DI NEREO
(24km from Alghero) Capo Caccia, www.adventurediving.it The biggest underwater cave in Europe, it’s considered one of the best diving sites in the Med, with coral-covered walls, countless archways, air chambers and 500m-long tunnels.

GROTTA DI NETTUNO
(24km from Alghero) Capo Caccia, www.sardegnaturismo.it These sea-level caverns stretch out for 2.5km around clear lakes and awesome rock formations. The grotto is accessible by car or boat, entry: adults, €12; children, €6.

THE NURAGHE DI PALMAVERA
(10km from Alghero) Alongside the road to Porto Conte out of Alghero, www.algherosardinia.net The nuraghe are megalithic stone structures in the Sardinian countryside and date back to 1000 BC. Palmavera is the place to come and gawp at these ancient dwellings: you’ll find a palace and 50 stone huts. Entry, €3; with guided tour, €5.

LA SPERANZA BEACH
(10km from Alghero) La Speranza beach, www.algherosardinia.net A sandy white beach with great surf that’s popular with a young crowd. There are numerous cafés as well as boats to hire.

PUNTA DEL GIGLIO CLIFFS
(13km from Alghero) Torre Nuova, www.sardegnaturismo.it These jutting limestone cliffs above the bay are popular with walkers and cyclists and are an excellent place for a picnic.

SELLA & MOSCA VINEYARDS
(11km from Alghero) Localita l Piani, tel: +39 (0)79 997700, www.sellaemosca.com One of the biggest wineries in Europe to exclusively use its own grapes, this vineyard is over 100 years old. Go on a guided tour or just try a glass or two.

ARGENTIERA
(34km from Alghero) Argentiera, www.algherosardinia.net Until 1963, this ghost town was home to a silver mine, but the shiny stuff ran out and the inhabitants left. Explore the empty mineshafts, houses and chapel for free.

ASINARA NATIONAL PARK
(56km to Stintino, then a 30-minute ferry ride to the island of Asinara) www.parcoasinara.org, www.parks.it Asinara means “place of donkeys” in Italian, named for the wild albino donkeys that roam here. The park can be explored by foot or in off-road cars, and is home to other rare species. Ferry €6 return; free entry to park.

NECROPOLIS OF ANGHELU RÙJU
(10km from Alghero) Near the airport, alongside the Porto Torres Road, www.algherosardinia.net This 5,000-year-old series of artificial caves was a refuge for prehistoric people for hundreds of years and is the island’s finest archeological site. Entry €2.

Welcome on Board

Welcome aboard your bmibaby flight today! Hopefully we’re helping you get away on a well-deserved holiday, a visit to see long-lost friends and family, or perhaps you’re on the way home from closing that all-important business deal. Whatever the reason, I trust that your journey is a comfortable and relaxing one.

All the bmibaby team are very much committed to providing you with the best possible experience. From interacting with our cabin crew or pilots, or from talking to our customer service team before you travelled, we hope that you’ve received an excellent service.

In April, I took over as managing director of the airline so this is my first column and it gives me great pride to take the reigns of an airline with such a strong and dedicated team – all of whom are passionate about making your travel experience a great one.

This summer is going to be a busy one for us and we shall continually strive to ensure your flight operates on time. In 2009, we were the UK’s most punctual low-cost airline – an accolade we strive to achieve again in 2010!

We’ve recently launched a number of exciting new routes and now fly to places such as Venice, Dubrovnik, Malta and Lourdes, to name but a few. Check out the route maps in this magazine (page 75) to see the range of destinations that we offer. We’re continually seeking to identify new destinations to meet your needs, so please tell a crew member if you have any ideas for new routes. In fact, feel free to tell our crew if you have any ideas or suggestions – we are always keen to listen!

Thanks for choosing to fly with us. Happy travels and I hope you enjoy our company today.

Julian Carr
Managing Director

Faro X 5

More than just the gateway to the Algarve, Faro has plenty of attractions for all types of holidaymakers. Just choose the type of traveller you are, then follow the guide for you

BY MATTHEW HANCOCK

While Faro is undeniably the perfect pushing-off point for a vacation on the Algarve, it’s also a brilliant holiday destination in its own right. The palm-lined waterfront hugs a plush marina and its Old Town gazes over the waters of a pristine nature reserve. Its compact size means it’s easy to negotiate by public transport and it’s just a little hop to a plethora of fishing villages, market towns and cultural sites, making it a good base for a longer visit.

So, whether you’re ready to explore a new destination, watching the pennies, travelling with children, or looking for a memorable experience of seafood or foreign culture, you’ll find it here.

01 FIRST-TIME VISITORS

Don’t worry about the off-putting suburbs: once in the centre, Faro’s charms will quickly become apparent

DAYTIME: Get your bearings on the Comboio Turístico, a dinky land train which runs hourly from 10.30am–5.30pm from the waterfront on Jardim Manuel Bívar, round the old town and back via the food market (tel: +351 91 559 9300, €3.50 per person) or traipse the old town on foot.

LUNCH BREAK: The Algarve’s famous seafood and cataplana stews can be enjoyed at the waterside Faro e Benfica (Doca de Faro, tel: +351 289 821422).

AFTER DARK: Sip a caipirinha cocktail at Columbus (Praça Dr Francisco Gomes, www.barcolumbus.com), a cosy lounge bar with outdoor seats under the arcades and views of the marina.

SHOPPING: J Carminho (21 & 29 Rua de Santo António, tel: +351 289 826522) showcases the best of the Algarve’s crafts, including embroidery, ceramics and attractive souvenirs.

HOTEL: Hotel Faro (from €106 for a double, 2 Praça Dr Francisco Gomes, tel: +351 289 830830, www.hotelfaro.pt) has brilliant views from the top-floor breakfast room and modern bedrooms, the best facing the marina.

02 ON A BUDGET

Although Portugal is relatively inexpensive, prices in the Algarve are higher, yet bargains are still to be had

DAYTIME: Buses 14 and 16 run from Faro’s bus station on the Avenida da Republica past the airport to the nearest beach, which takes about 25 minutes and costs less than €2. The splendid Praia de Faro is actually a long sandspit island where you can spend a day soaking up the rays for free.

LUNCH BREAK: Café Gardy (16 Rua de Santo António, tel: +351 289 824062) has the best cakes and pastries in town, and also serves inexpensive salads and light lunches.

AFTER DARK: The liveliest bars cluster round Rua Conselheiro Bívar. A good first port of call is the laid-back Upa Upa (51 Rua Conselheiro Bívar, tel: +351 289 807832) with outdoor seats on a pedestrianised stretch.

SHOPPING: Just 8km east of Faro, the region’s best market can be found along the waterfront in the neighbouring town of Olhão – buy fresh fish and produce for a lavish picnic for under €5 (7am – 2pm Tuesday to Friday, 6.30am – 3pm Saturday, Avenida 5 de Outubro, Olhão).

HOTEL: Faro is well stocked with good value guesthouses or, for a hotel, the Hotel Sol Algarve (from €65 for a double, 52 Rua Infante Dom Henrique,tel: +351 289 895700, www.residencialalgarve.com). It’s welcoming, spotless and centrally located.

03 FAMILIES & CHILDREN

With its pedestrianised shopping streets, child-friendly locals and quaint Old Town, Faro is just right for families

DAYTIME: Take one of the daily nature boat tours (weather permitting) to the evocative-sounding Ilha Deserta – Portugal’s most southerly point – via wetlands alive with seabirds (adults, €20; children, €10, tel: + 351 918 779155, www.ilha-deserta.com).

LUNCH BREAK: Whether you’re after local ice cream, pizzas or healthy salads, you can have them at Café do Coreto (Jardim Manuel Bívar, tel: +351 289 822964) at reasonable prices, sitting outside facing the marina.

AFTER DARK: Stoke up the kids at the buzzy Adega Nova (24 Rua Francisco Barreto, tel: +351 289 813433) and impress them by ordering bife na pedra – a steak cooked on a hot rock brought to your table.

SHOPPING: A treasure trove for local produce, Rui Garrafeira (28 Praça Ferreira de Almeida, tel: +351 289 822803) stocks local wines and cheeses for you, and tempting chocolates and confectionary for the kids – or get pastries and make everyone happy.

HOTEL: With a rooftop pool with marina views and breakfast served from 5am in case the kids wake early, Hotel Eva (family rooms from €155, 1 Avenida da República, tel: +351 289 001000, www.tdhotels.pt) ranks top for child-friendly accommodation.

04 URBAN HIPSTERS

Faro is a little too sleepy to be cutting edge, but you can still enjoy a few slices of urban cool in this sunny city

DAYTIME: Not many cities boast a chapel completely lined with human bones, but that’s what you’ll find at the ghoulish Capela dos Ossos, adjacent to the twin-towered Igreja do Carmo. The bones are those of monks and the original idea was to shock visitors into a sinless life. (Largo do Carmo, tel: +351 289 824490).

LUNCH BREAK: For hip décor and top seafood, look no further than Camané (Avenida Nascente Praia de Faro, tel: +351 289 817539), one of the area’s top restaurants an olive’s throw from the beach.

AFTER DARK: Galeria Bar Património (19 Rua do Prior, tel: +351 289 803177/919 846405) is currently the hottest place in town, with regular DJ sessions – though pace yourself – it doesn’t get going before 2am.

SHOPPING: While away a few hours – it stays open till midnight – at the modern Forum Algarve (N125, tel: +351 289 889300, www.forumalgarve.net), with a range of modern clothes stores and shopping outlets.

HOTEL: Head 11km north to the classy Pousada do Palácio de Estoi (doubles from €180, Estoi, tel: +351 289 990150) with boutique flair and 19th-century opulence.

05 CULTURE VULTURES

The historic capital of the Algarve has a select, well-presented array of cultural and architectural highlights

DAYTIME: The beautiful cloisters of a former convent now host the Museu Municipal de Faro (14 Largo D Afonso III, tel: +351 289 897400, www.ipmuseus.pt), displaying priceless archaeological finds dating back to Roman and Moorish times, as well as paintings, jewellery and tiles.

LUNCH BREAK: Dois Irmãos (14 Largo Terreiro do Bispo, tel: +351 289 823 337) is the archetypal Portuguese restaurant, with sumptuous seafood, beautiful tiles and its own patio garden. It’s also Faro’s oldest restaurant, serving regional dishes from original recipes since 1925.

AFTER DARK: Check out what’s on at Teatro Lethes (59 Rua de Portugal, tel: +351 289 820300, www.teatrolethes.pt), a lavish gem of a theatre dating back to the 17th century which started life as a Jesuit college.

SHOPPING: Stunning reclaimed decorative tiles, some from the 16th century, make a perfect Portuguese gift from Joaquim da Silva Carneiro (6 Rua da Porta Nova, tel: +351 289 826706).

HOTEL: Originally a family home, the Casa de Estói (from €120 for a double room, 80 Rua de Faro, Estoi, tel: +351 289 990170, www.casadeestoi.com), 11km north of Faro, simply oozes character, with rooms wrapped round an internal courtyard with its own pool for you to slip into.

We sent two tireless yeahbaby readers to spend a couple of days in the Mallorcan capital. Here’s what they got up to…

PHOTOGRAPHY: 4 CORNER IMAGES

THE ADVENTURERS:

John Woolliscroft and Donna Preston have been best friends for over 20 years: indeed, they’re so inseparable that – à la “Brangelina” – they’re known as “Jonna”! John (28) teaches German and French in a secondary school in the town of Biddulph in the Staffordshire Moorlands, while Donna (also 28) is a nursery school practitioner in Buxton, a small spa town on the fringe of the Peak District National Park where both Donna and John live. They’ve travelled extensively, with Sydney, the Gold Coast, Berlin, Munich, Nuremburg, Hurghada, Edinburgh, Barcelona and the Greek island of Rhodes just some of the places they’ve visited together. With so many travel memories, which one stands out the most? “My favourite moment has to be when Donna was attacked by a pigeon while we were taking photos outside the Sydney Opera House,” says John. “It appeared to have a real vendetta against her – I have never laughed, cried and nearly wet myself so much. It happened just before we did the Sydney Harbour Bridge climb – where we were mistaken for reporters and interviewed for Australian television!” We sent “Jonna” to Palma de Mallorca to explore the island’s capital on a weekend getaway…

When visiting a new city, there’s one thing you always need to pack: comfy walking shoes. After checking into our gorgeous hotel, we quickly donned practical footwear and set off on a mammoth seven-hour walking mission to explore the city. A 15-minute stroll along the front of the harbour led us to the Old Town. Shopping, sadly, was ruled out (it was a public holiday), so we consoled ourselves with a coffee and beer at Forn des Teatre, probably the most famous café on the island. The pimientos de padrón (small green peppers fried in olive oil) were divine!

When it came to restaurants, we were spoilt for choice on Carrer dels Apuntadors. We ultimately decided on Tirol Cerveceria, a fascinating fusion of tapas bar and bierkeller (German-style public house) – it obviously works, as by the time we left there was a queue of people waiting to go inside. The evening ended in style with cocktails at Abaco, a unique and extremely discreet bar in the heart of Palma. It’s housed in a grand former manor house overflowing with ornate fruit and flower arrangements, and has to be seen to be believed.

After a superb breakfast at our hotel, our first stop on day two was the Museu d’Art Modern I Contemporani de Palma for a spot of modern culture. We were transfixed by abstract, Latin American and Mallorcan pieces from the 20th century.

Our artistic sensibilities aroused, it was time to hit the shops in the Old Town. Plaça Del Rei Joan Carlos I and Avinguda Jaume III both had a great mix of designer and local stores – including shoe shops, much to the delight of Donna! Then it was time to check out Palma’s iconic cathedral (La Seu), which has one of the most beautiful, detailed exteriors we’ve ever seen on a building. It was very busy, with hundreds of people of all nationalities snapping away. Adjacent to the cathedral is La Almudaina Palace, which is worth checking out for its beautiful gardens and the grandeur of the architecture.

For a change of pace we went to Palma’s main train station and took the 90-minute “Orange Express” to Port de Sóller, a resort town on the west coast. John actually fell asleep and didn’t wake up till we arrived… to discover his camera battery was flat! Definitely take this journey if you want to see beautiful Mallorcan scenery. It’s simply sublime. Afterwards, we headed back to our hotel – stopping for drinks en route! – and then Donna took a catnap while I watched German television in our lovely room.

An early dinner in a quiet Italian restaurant on the harbour front set us up for an evening at one of the biggest nightclubs in Majorca, Tito’s. Entering via a glass elevator was certainly a fitting start to the evening. The end, however, didn’t come until the following day. Picture this: sunrise over the harbour and two people walking without shoes back to their hotel – good job it was only next door!

Our break to Palma was perfect, but when, you may ask, did we go to the beach? We never actually got that far! Next time…

GOT A PASSPORT & A DIGITAL CAMERA?

We’re looking for two people to visit a bmibaby destination for 24 hours. If you’re handy with a camera and happy to tell our readers what to see and do, we want to hear from you! Email bmibaby.ed@ink-publishing.com with a photo of you and your travel buddy, and tell us why you’d like to be a guest writer. Winners receive return flights to a bmibaby destination from either Birmingham, Cardiff, East Midlands or Manchester (please advise which is best for you), one night’s accommodation and £100 towards transfers, meals, etc.

WHERE TO DRINK/PARTY

ABACO

Even if you don’t stay for a cocktail, it’s worth popping in for a look around. 1 Calle San Joan, Palma de Mallorca, tel: +34 971 714939.

TITOS

On the harbour front, this is the one-time haunt of celebs such as Marlene Dietrich and Ray Charles. Passeig Maritimo S/N, www.titosmallorca.com

WHERE TO EAT

FORN DES TEATRE

Delicious home-made food and a Mallorcan institution. Try an ensaïmadas, a pastry with a choice of fillings. 9 Plaza Weyler, www.forndesteatre.com

TIROL CERVECERIA

A relaxed atmosphere and good food and drink make this a popular spot, so it can get busy. 3 Calle Apuntadores, www.tirolrestaurante.com

WHAT TO DO

MUSEU D’ART MODERN I CONTEMPORANI DE PALMA

10 Plaça Porta Santa Catalina, www.esbaluard.org

LA ALMUDAINA PALACE

The official summer residence of the Spanish royal family. Carre Palau Reial S/N, tel: +34 971 214134.

TRAIN TO SÓLLER

A beautiful old wooden train that used to bring oranges to Palma from the coast. 1 Eusebio Estada, Palma de Mallorca, www.trendesoller.com

WHERE TO SHOP

PLAÇA DEL REI JOAN CARLOS I

Filled with plenty of designer clothes and shoe shops. On Mallorca, many smaller shops will close between 1.30pm–5pm.

AVINGUDA JAUME III

Good for high-street brands and designer names, as well as local shops. And when your feet get tired, there’s always a handy café to have a coffee and rest!

WHERE TO STAY

GRAN MELIÁ VICTORIA

We stayed at the exquisite five-star Gran Meliá Victoria, which is brilliantly located for the airport – just a 10-minute cab ride (about €17) away. The rooms feature minimalist décor, plenty of natural light, interactive flat-screen TVs, internet connection… and from our balcony we had the most stunning view over Palma harbour. An absolute highlight of our stay would have to be the breakfasts! Any thought of diets went out the window thanks to the most fantastic spread you’ve ever seen. And as breakfast is served both inside and out, you can make the most of the gorgeous warm weather. Heaven!

Our writers stayed at the five-star Gran Meliá Victoria in Palma. Rooms are available from £103 per night on a room-only basis (based on two people sharing). To book, visit www.bmibaby.com, where you can search for hotels and apartments in all bmibaby destinations. Powered by Europe’s leading travel & leisure website, www.lastminute.com