PISA
WINING AND DINING
BERLIN
BRUSSELS
MILAN
FOODIE Odyssey james reekie
Join our fantasy gastronomic tour, making the most of connecting flights between Europe’s epicurean hotspots. Feast at seasonal cherry markets in Pisa and pack a gourmet picnic in Berlin, then fly on to Brussels for a traditional fine-dining experience followed by fashionable cocktails in the heart of Milan 48 | TRAVELLER | MAY 10
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Sample 13 varieties of cherries in the lead up to the Lari Cherry Festival Fresh fruit, jams, cakes and liqueurs tempt visitors to the Tuscan hill town of Lari in late May, when the cherry harvest is celebrated with tastings, music and dance.
Hotel Stay at the NH Cavalieri from €95. Book at hotels.easyJet.com Snack Award-winning La Bottega del Gelato makes 40 different types of ice cream on the premises, from standard flavours to more experimental kinds, such as snik snak (peanut butter with chocolate).
Gelato for two, around €10. 11 Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi, tel: +39 050 575 467 Dinner Antica Trattoria Il Campano offers authentic Tuscan fare in Pisa’s Old Town. Try truffles, homemade pasta, fish or speciality steaks. Dinner for two, around €40. 19 Via Cavalca, tel: +39 050 580 585 MAY 10 | TRAVELLER | 49
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Tantalise your tastebuds in the world’s second-largest food hall With thousands of cheeses and meats, hundreds of jars of tea, and stalls of freshly baked bread, KaDeWe is the perfect place to shop for a gourmet picnic. 21–24 50 | TRAVELLER | MAY 10
PISA
Tauentzienstrasse, tel: +49 (0)30 21210 Route We fly from Pisa to Berlin once on Monday, Thursday and Saturday. Hotel Stay at the Ku’Damm from €82. Book at hotels.easyJet.com Lunch Cosy up on the vintage sofas at Café Wohnzimmer and savour organic cake and
coffee, a beer or a cocktail. 6 Lettestrasse, Prenzlauer Berg, tel: +49 (0)30 445 5458 Dinner Feast on seasonal local delicacies such as white asparagus at the Grill Royal. Or go for the Surf ’n’ Turf menu – a fave with the celebs. Meal for two, around €110. 105 Friedrichstrasse, tel: +49 (0)30 2887 9288
BRUSSELS
Dine on delicious Belgian and French fare at the classy Kwint Choose from gourmet dishes such as caviar and truffles as you gaze out at the cityscape or up at the sculptural ceiling. From €100 for two. 1 Mont des Arts, tel: + 32 (0)2 505 9595
Route We fly from Berlin to Brussels twice Sunday–Monday and Thursday–Friday and once on Wednesday. Hotel Stay at Hotel BLOOM! From €74. Book at hotels.easyJet.com Snack For delicious fresh seafood cooked on the spot, head for the Noordzee fish bar.
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Top picks include the crab burger, swordfish and tapas-style prawns. From €15 for two. 45 Rue Sainte Catherine, tel: +32 (0)2 513 1192 Drink Ring the doorbell to gain access to exclusive L’Archiduc, a stylish, hidden world of cocktails, Champagne and live jazz. 6 Antoine Dansaert MAY 10 | TRAVELLER | 51
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Sip a Blu cocktail for €12 on the roof terrace at 10 Corso Como This sleek bar is a work of art and a favourite with the fashionistas. 10 Corso Como Route We fly from Brussels to Milan Malpensa twice Monday–Friday, once 52 | TRAVELLER | MAY 10
Saturday and twice on Sunday. The drive from Milan to Pisa takes less than three hours. Hire a car at easyJet.com Hotel Stay at Choove Downtown Suite from €133. Book at hotels.easyJet.com Lunch Luini’s is Milan’s oldest bakery and is famous for its panzerotti – delicious little
parcels of dough stuffed with pizza toppings. Panzerotti for two, €6. 16 Via Santa Radegonda, tel: +39 (0)2 864 61917 Dinner Turn up the romance at Pane e Acqua, which serves simple Mediterranean dishes in a boho-chic interior. Meal for two, €60. 14 Via Bandello, tel: +39 (0)2 4819 8622
illustrations © james reekie/lemonadeillustration.com | Words deborah hatch
PISA
WATER-FUELLED ADVENTURE
For the ultimate water-fuelled grand tour this summer, follow the sun from Basel to Ajaccio in Corsica, then on to glorious Sardinia. Go rafting on the Rhine’s rapids then cruise around Corsica’s coves, before diving into the deep blue sea in Olbia and kicking back in style on Cagliari’s beautiful beaches 50 | TRAVELLER | JULY 10
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BASEL
AJACCIO
OLBIA
CAGLIARI
AQUATIC ODYSSE Y ALEX GREEN
BASEL Take the plunge on a white-water rafting trip down the Rhine River from CHF 100 (€75) per person
Taking to the water is the best way to see outstanding beauty spots and pretty Swiss villages bordering the Rhine Gorge –
Switzerland’s own Grand Canyon. Tel: +41 (0)81 911 5250, swissraft.ch Hotel For fabulous views of the Rhine, stay at Hotel Hecht from €97. Book at hotels.easyJet.com Drink Head to trendy open-air lounge bar Chill am Rhy for cool drinks under the
shade of the imposing Münster Cathedral. Riverside, next to the cathedral Culture When night falls, grab a beer and head to the Imfluss Festival to watch local bands play on a spectacular floating stage on the Rhine. From 27 July; 13 Rheingasse, imfluss.ch JULY 10 | TRAVELLER | 51
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OLBIA Discover Sardinia’s vibrant underwater world on a diving tour from €36
The island’s marine reserves are home to shipwrecks, rare corals, and other wonders. Porto San Paolo Dive Center, 14A Via Pietro Nenni, portospaolodiving.it
Route Hire a car at easyJet.com and
drive to Bonifacio, then take a high-speed Corsica Ferry to Santa Teresa in Sardinia. The journey takes an hour. corsica-ferries.fr Hotel At Pozzo Sacro, every suite has breathtaking sea views, from €139. Book at hotels.easyJet.com
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Relax For a truly glam beach day, head to Fiat Playa for its Jacuzzi, bar, DJs and cocktails. Porto Rotondo, Punta Marana Dinner Enjoy specialities such as Catalanstyle lobster on the beachfront terrace at Da Tonino, Tavolara Island. Ferries from Porto San Paolo; tel: +39 0789 58570 JULY 10 | TRAVELLER | 53
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AJACCIO (CORSICA) Explore coves and brilliant azure-blue seas in a boat from €300 per day
Look out for dolphins, then dive in for some snorkelling or moor up and sunbathe. Sun Boat, 46 Rue de Boniface, Porto Vecchio, sunboatlocation.com
Route We fly from Basel to Ajaccio on
Saturdays and Sundays. Hotel Stay at the central Napoleon, near the beautiful Gulf of Ajaccio, from €99. Book at hotels.easyJet.com Beach Bask like a seal in the sun on fine white sand at Palombaggia. With beautiful
pine trees and crystal-clear waters, it was voted by The Sunday Times as one of Europe’s top-20 beaches. Porto Vecchio Detox Relax and enjoy the views in a spring-fed Roman bath that boasts healing properties. Bains de Caldane, Sainte Lucie de Tallano, tel: +33 (0)4 9577 0034
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CAGLIARI For a slice of paradise, relax with a sundowner at a wonderfully intimate Sardinian cove from €6
Paillote Beach Club has incredible views, plus a restaurant, bar and private beach. Viale Calamosca, Calafighera, lapaillote.it
Route Drive from Olbia to Cagliari. We
fly from Cagliari to Basel on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Hotel Stay at Hotel Panorama overlooking the “Gulf of Angels”, from €108. Book at hotels.easyJet.com Dinner For traditional Sardinian pasta,
seafood and meat dishes, including porcheddu (suckling pig) try Opera Prima. 9 Via Campidano, tel: +39 070 684 619 Party Sip cocktails with the hip crowd at rooftop bar Caffè degli Spiriti and enjoy spectacular views over Cagliari, then party in the nightclub. Bastione St Remy
ILLUSTRATIONS © ALEX GREEN/FOLIOART.CO.UK | WORDS DEBORAH HATCH
BASEL
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long evening of fun
Mid summer Night Odyssey A L E X GR E E N
Celebrate the summer solstice by flying to Europe’s best nightspots. Spend a long evening in the heat of Copenhagen’s harbourside bonfires, watch open-air concerts set London alight, then move on to Mykonos for spectacular sunsets before spending a night under the stars with an opera near Milan 52 | TRAVELLER | JUNE 10
COPENHAGEN
Copenhagen Bask in the heat of traditional Sankt Hans bonfires on 23 June
Celebrate midsummer with a cold beer at the old harbour town of Nyhavn. It’s packed with pubs and bars that come alive at night and host folk and jazz music.
Hotel Stay at the Absalon from €132. Book at hotels.easyJet.com Dinner Dine on seafood specials at the Ocean Club in Little Venice. It’s so close to the waterfront, you feel as if you should sail up to it. Meal for two around €100. 17 Sundkrogskaj, tel: +45 7020 3036
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Cocktails Glam up for late-night cocktails at Karel Van Mander, central Copenhagen’s only roof-terrace bar. Waitresses in kitsch 17th-century regalia serve specials like the vodka-based Blue Sky. Cocktails for two around €25. 16 Lille Kongensgade, tel: +45 3311 2020 JUNE 10 | TRAVELLER | 53
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London Pack a picnic and spend a full summer evening at Kenwood House
Hampstead Heath’s majestic manor house is the backdrop for a night with 70s new wavers Blondie on 26 June. Hampstead Lane, picnicconcerts.com 54 | TRAVELLER | JUNE 10
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Route We fly from Copenhagen to London five times a day on Monday to Friday and four times a day Saturday and Sunday. Hotel Stay at the Grand Royale Hyde Park from €125. Book at hotels.easyJet.com Culture Watch drama after dark at the Open Air Theatre in the much-loved
Regent’s Park. There’s no spookier way to catch witch-hunt tale The Crucible, playing this month. The Ironworks, Inner Circle, Regent’s Park, openairtheatre.org Drink Share a bottle of wine amid sweeping views at The Boundary Rooftop. Boundary Street, Shoreditch, E2
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Mykonos Treat yourself to Nobu Matsuhisha’s legendary Japanese cuisine
Matsuhisha Mykonos’ à la carte menu is served poolside at the swish Belvedere Hotel. Meal for two around €180. School of Fine Arts District, tel: +30 22890 27362
Route We fly from London to Mykonos once on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Hotel Stay at the San Marco from €117. Book at hotels.easyJet.com Beach Join the celebs at Nammos, the island’s most glamorous beach bar, where you can order Mediterranean dishes and
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party till dawn with the DJ. Psarou Beach, tel: +30 22890 22440 Sunset For the place to view the sunset, get a seat early at Caprice in the Little Venice area of the waterfront and order a cocktail as you gaze out at Mykonos’ iconic windmills. 8 Lambrou Katsoni JUNE 10 | TRAVELLER | 55
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Milan A once-in-a-lifetime experience awaits at Italy’s second-largest Roman amphitheatre, Arena di Verona
Night-time operas include this month’s classic, Aida (pictured). Piazza Brà, Verona, arena.it 56 | TRAVELLER | JUNE 10
MILAN
Route We fly from Mykonos to Milan once every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and once on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 21 June. We fly from Milan to Copenhagen once a day. Hotel Stay at Hotel Mediolanum from €114. Book at hotels.easyJet.com
Snack In trendy Navigli, Bar Metals’ mini pizzas and other hot snacks are perfect with aperitifs in the beautiful garden space. 58 Corso di Porta Ticinese Club Party with the trend-setters at Borgo del Tempo, which only opens for the summer. 36 Via Fabio Massimo
illustrations © ALEX GREEN/folioart.co.uk | Words deborah hatch
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