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118 | DESTINATION GUIDES<br />
Berlin<br />
Germany<br />
AFTER DARK<br />
LOW KEY Tajik<br />
Tearoom (1st fl oor, 1<br />
Am Festungsgraben, tel:<br />
030 204 1112) This is<br />
the perfect place to<br />
stop after a stroll<br />
through the historical<br />
centre of Berlin. Take off<br />
your shoes and recline<br />
on cushions as you<br />
sip on tea from a<br />
samovar (teapot) in<br />
this ornate café just off<br />
Unter den Linden.<br />
LIVE MUSIC Kaff ee<br />
Burger (60 Torstrasse,<br />
Mitte, tel: 030 2804<br />
6495) This charming<br />
venue – a pub whose<br />
look hasn’t changed<br />
much since the<br />
Communist era – hosts<br />
intimate concerts<br />
most nights of the<br />
week and turns into<br />
a pretty raucous dance<br />
club after midnight,<br />
especially at the<br />
monthly hedonistic<br />
Russendisko parties.<br />
LATE & LIVELY<br />
Kleine Reise (8<br />
Spreewaldplatz) This<br />
Irish-run club below<br />
a hostel in the middle<br />
of Kreuzberg aims to<br />
be a haven for eclectic<br />
electronic music-lovers<br />
looking for a relaxed<br />
and fun-loving houseparty<br />
atmosphere.<br />
THIS MONTH<br />
SHOP Berlin Story<br />
was the fi rst bookshop<br />
catering to tourists<br />
on Unter den Linden.<br />
A far cry from the<br />
many tacky souvenir<br />
shops on Berlin’s main<br />
boulevard, this store<br />
THE MOST FAMOUS<br />
IRISH PUB IN BERLIN<br />
stocks hundreds<br />
of Berlin-related<br />
books in English and<br />
other languages<br />
(26 Unter den Linden,<br />
berlinstory.de).<br />
SEE The global<br />
theatre sensation Blue<br />
Man Group has an<br />
ongoing Berlin show<br />
at Potsdamer Platz.<br />
No German-language<br />
skills are required<br />
to marvel at these<br />
mad, blue-skinned<br />
entertainers<br />
(tel: 018 054 444,<br />
bluemangroup.de).<br />
GO Schloss<br />
Charlottenburg in<br />
the far west of the<br />
city was built by the<br />
Hohenzollern family<br />
as a country residence<br />
in the 17th century. Go<br />
inside and marvel at<br />
the ornate, baroque<br />
interiors – including<br />
a porcelain cabinet<br />
housing thousands<br />
of exquisite objects.<br />
The large formal<br />
gardens and park<br />
surrounding the palace<br />
are perfect for a stroll.<br />
ESCAPE The Garden<br />
Kingdom of Dessau-<br />
Wörlitz is a huge area of<br />
landscaped parks and<br />
palaces built in the 18th<br />
century. The UNESCO<br />
World Heritage Site is<br />
about an hour-anda-half<br />
drive south<br />
west of Berlin<br />
(gartenreich.com).<br />
NO WAY!<br />
Berlin is an incredibly<br />
green city, with around<br />
one-third of the city<br />
composed of forests,<br />
parks, gardens,<br />
rivers and lakes.<br />
exberliner.com<br />
Biarritz<br />
France<br />
DIALLING CODE +33<br />
CURRENCY €<br />
FLY FROM<br />
London (LGW),<br />
Lyon, Paris (CDG)<br />
FROM THE<br />
AIRPORT<br />
TAXI Pre-book your taxi<br />
at easyJet.com.<br />
A local taxi costs €13.<br />
The STAB runs<br />
hourly from<br />
7.30am. Tickets: €1.20.<br />
Visit the Europcar<br />
desk for special<br />
easyJet rates.<br />
BON APPETIT<br />
UP TO €30 La<br />
Cidrerie Hernani (29<br />
Avenue Maréchal Joff re,<br />
tel: 05 5923 0101) This is<br />
a typical cider restaurant,<br />
with big wooden tables.<br />
Meat, fi sh and vegetable<br />
dishes and as much<br />
cider as you can drink<br />
are the order of the day.<br />
EXCLUSIVE La Ferme<br />
de Bassilour (Rue<br />
Burruntz, tel: 05 5941<br />
9085) If you’re in a big<br />
group, this is a unique<br />
experience. Help the chef<br />
create your gourmet<br />
dishes in this 16thcentury<br />
farmhouse, then<br />
dine on the perfectly<br />
executed dishes.<br />
AFTER DARK<br />
LOW KEY Le Royalty<br />
(13 Place Clémenceau)<br />
Le Royalty has an ideal<br />
central location, with<br />
British décor, where you<br />
can watch the world<br />
go by over a coff ee or<br />
cocktail. Popular with<br />
locals and tourists alike.<br />
LATE & LIVELY Le<br />
Bar Jean (5 Rue des<br />
Halles, tel: 05 5924<br />
8038) A very busy bar<br />
frequented by a lively<br />
crowd of locals drinking<br />
sangria and cocktails<br />
until the early hours.<br />
THIS MONTH<br />
GO For a relaxing spa<br />
experience, head to<br />
Spa Kémana. Owned by<br />
international rugby star<br />
Serge Betsen, there’s<br />
an extensive range of<br />
treatments available (3<br />
Carrefour d’Hélianthe).<br />
NO WAY!<br />
Napoléon III and Empress<br />
Eugénie built their<br />
holiday palace in Biarritz<br />
in 1854. The original<br />
palace burnt down in<br />
1870, but was rebuilt as<br />
the Hôtel du Palais.<br />
Steve Bilsborough<br />
RUE DES<br />
HALLES<br />
SHOP This food<br />
market is a treat for all<br />
the senses. Buy some<br />
fresh cheese, fruit<br />
and cold meats for a<br />
picnic. Stop off at Chez<br />
Etienne – the popular<br />
market café for a midmorning<br />
coff ee.<br />
Bilbao<br />
Spain<br />
DIALLING CODE +34<br />
CURRENCY €<br />
FLY FROM<br />
Ibiza, London<br />
(STN), Rome (FCO)<br />
FROM THE<br />
AIRPORT<br />
TAXI Pre-book your taxi<br />
at easyJet.com.<br />
A local taxi costs €28.<br />
Buses go to the<br />
city every 30<br />
minutes. Tickets: €1.25.<br />
Visit the Europcar<br />
desk for special<br />
easyJet rates.<br />
BON APPETIT<br />
UP TO €30<br />
Restaurante Lasa (3<br />
Calle Diputación, tel: 94<br />
424 0103) A trendy little<br />
bar in the city centre,<br />
where a good selection<br />
of tasty tapas and a set<br />
lunchtime menu draw<br />
in the customers.<br />
EXCLUSIVE<br />
Restaurante Artagan<br />
(2 Plaza Moyua, tel: 94<br />
416 2200) Set within<br />
the Carlton Hotel,<br />
exquisite Artagan serves<br />
traditional Basque<br />
cuisine at its best. Wash<br />
down your meal with<br />
one of the great regional<br />
wines on off er.<br />
AFTER DARK<br />
LOW KEY Old Tavern<br />
(3 Rodríguez Arias,<br />
tel: 94 415 0744)<br />
A quaint and traditional<br />
English-style pub with<br />
a respectable selection<br />
of beers and a friendly,<br />
laidback atmosphere. A<br />
good place to start the<br />
night with the locals.<br />
LATE & LIVELY<br />
Café Boulevard (3<br />
Arenal, tel: 94 415 3128)<br />
Recently reopened<br />
after an extensive<br />
renovation, this stalwart<br />
is one of Bilbao’s most<br />
emblematic meeting<br />
points. Open until late<br />
at the weekends, there’s<br />
no surprise as to why<br />
it’s such a popular place<br />
with locals and visitors.<br />
THIS MONTH<br />
SHOP El Mercado<br />
de la Ribera, next to<br />
the river, is reportedly<br />
the biggest indoor<br />
market in Europe. Fresh<br />
produce is delivered<br />
daily – from fruit and<br />
vegetables, meat and<br />
fi sh to cheeses, sweets<br />
and much more (every<br />
day except Sundays).<br />
SEE The carnival<br />
parades fl oat through<br />
various parts of the<br />
city centre from<br />
4–8 March. Check the<br />
posters for related<br />
events, such as<br />
concerts and street<br />
theatre, and join in the<br />
fun and dress up.<br />
NO WAY!<br />
Athletic Club Bilbao<br />
is the only premier<br />
division football club<br />
in Europe with a noforeign-players<br />
policy<br />
– in fact, they don’t<br />
have any players<br />
from outside the<br />
Basque country!<br />
Katherine Bilsborough
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