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164 | DESTINATION GUIDES<br />
Murcia<br />
Spain<br />
DIALLING CODE +34<br />
CURRENCY €<br />
FLY FROM<br />
Bristol,<br />
London (LGW)<br />
FROM THE<br />
AIRPORT<br />
TAXI<br />
Pre-book your taxi<br />
at easyJet.com. A<br />
taxi to Murcia costs €45<br />
and €35 to Torrevieja.<br />
Visit the Europcar<br />
desk for special<br />
easyJet rates.<br />
BON APPETIT<br />
UP TO €30 Mármol<br />
(142 Avenida Río<br />
Guadalentín, tel: 968<br />
840 705) On the<br />
outskirts of the city,<br />
Mármol off ers outdoor<br />
dining with views across<br />
to the mountains<br />
and the Fuensanta<br />
Sanctuary. It has<br />
fantastic rice dishes with<br />
veggie options, as well<br />
as rabbit and seafood<br />
paellas. Also on the<br />
menu are grilled meats<br />
or fi sh. For dessert, try<br />
the tasty rice pudding.<br />
EXCLUSIVE Hotel<br />
Hispano (3 Calle Radio<br />
Murcia, tel: 968 216<br />
152) An up-market<br />
hotel off ering a varied<br />
à la carte menu in plush<br />
surroundings. Head<br />
chef Joaquín Abellán<br />
changes the excellent<br />
stews on a daily basis<br />
and also off ers dishes<br />
such as sea bream with<br />
honey and spices.<br />
AFTER DARK<br />
LOW KEY Bar El<br />
Perela (5 Calle Ruiperez,<br />
tel: 968 935 198) Just<br />
off Gran Vi in the Plaza<br />
de las Flores zone, Bar El<br />
Perela off ers some great<br />
tapas and a relaxed<br />
atmosphere in which to<br />
have a drink and a snack<br />
before moving on to<br />
something more lively.<br />
LATE & LIVELY<br />
Monroe’s Rock Cafe<br />
(71 Calle Caballero de<br />
Rodas, Torrevieja, tel:<br />
966 705 325) If you like<br />
it heavy, then Monroe’s<br />
is the place. The genial<br />
owners play pretty<br />
much anything on<br />
request – as long as the<br />
songs are hard and fast.<br />
THIS MONTH<br />
SHOP Try Torrevieja’s<br />
street market on Friday<br />
mornings for some<br />
real bargains.<br />
SEE At Auditorio Victor<br />
Villegas, a series of fi ve<br />
concerts entitled Las<br />
Noches de Blue Note<br />
Records is taking place<br />
throughout the month.<br />
The majority of the<br />
artists will be musicians<br />
on the legendary Blue<br />
Note record label, and<br />
Benin-born guitarist<br />
Lionel Loueke is<br />
appearing on 3 March<br />
(auditoriomurcia.org).<br />
NO WAY!<br />
This year, it’s carnival<br />
on the cheap! In<br />
Cartagena, the budget<br />
for festivities has been<br />
reduced by €70,000.<br />
David Jones<br />
Nantes<br />
France<br />
DIALLING CODE +33<br />
CURRENCY €<br />
FLY FROM<br />
Basel-Mulhouse,<br />
Geneva, London<br />
(LGW), Lyon, Toulouse<br />
FROM THE<br />
AIRPORT<br />
TAXI<br />
Pre-book your taxi<br />
at easyJet.com.<br />
A local taxi costs €30.<br />
The Tan bus runs<br />
to Nantes South<br />
train station and the city<br />
centre. Tickets: €7.<br />
Visit the Europcar<br />
desk for special<br />
easyJet rates.<br />
BON APPETIT<br />
UP TO €30 Le Resto<br />
Revues (2 Rue de<br />
Refuge) For little over<br />
€10, you can enjoy<br />
homemade dishes such<br />
as pork with coconut<br />
milk and lemon. Try the<br />
almond Charlotte with<br />
rhubarb sauce.<br />
EXCLUSIVE Le<br />
Manoir de la Régate<br />
(155 Route de Gachet,<br />
tel: 02 4018 0297) This<br />
fabulous expensive<br />
gourmet restaurant is<br />
set in a fairytale castle<br />
and serves wonderful<br />
food. Order anything<br />
and it will be sublime.<br />
AFTER DARK<br />
LOW KEY Le Briord<br />
(3 Rue de Briord, tel: 02<br />
5188 9206) The<br />
regular bon vivants<br />
here love their roasted<br />
Camembert nights,<br />
horror fi lms, Nintendo<br />
tournaments and other<br />
games. It’s all incredibly<br />
good humoured,<br />
powered by fl avoured<br />
rum and glasses of wine.<br />
LATE & LIVELY<br />
Le Théâtre (22 Rue<br />
Scribe, tel: 02 4069<br />
7449) Head here for<br />
electro and house,<br />
guest DJs at weekends,<br />
and house cocktails<br />
and other concoctions<br />
all week long. There’s<br />
a friendly and warm<br />
atmosphere, with bar<br />
snacks at midnight.<br />
THIS MONTH<br />
SHOP La Malle des<br />
Indes is just the remedy<br />
for those searching for<br />
spring – fab clothes,<br />
interior décor, incense,<br />
accessories and all<br />
sorts of bric-a-brac<br />
imported directly from<br />
India can be found here<br />
(2 Place de l’Ecluse).<br />
SEE The Spanish<br />
Cinema Festival runs<br />
from 24 March to 5 April,<br />
a showcase for more<br />
than 50 fi lms. All the<br />
latest releases, including<br />
20 French premieres,<br />
will be shown, and there<br />
will also be round-table<br />
discussions and an<br />
exhibition (cinespagnolnantes.com).<br />
NO WAY!<br />
Jules Verne, author of<br />
Around the World in<br />
80 Days and Journey to<br />
the Centre of the Earth,<br />
was born in Nantes on<br />
8 February 1828.<br />
Samantha David<br />
Naples<br />
Italy<br />
DIALLING CODE +39<br />
CURRENCY €<br />
FLY FROM<br />
Basel-Mulhouse,<br />
Berlin, Geneva, Ibiza,<br />
Liverpool, London<br />
(LGW, STN), Madrid,<br />
Milan (MXP), Paris<br />
(ORY), Venice<br />
FROM THE<br />
AIRPORT<br />
TAXI<br />
Pre-book your taxi<br />
at easyJet.com.<br />
A local taxi costs €35.<br />
The Alibus shuttle<br />
stops at the train<br />
station and Piazza<br />
Municipio. Tickets: €4.<br />
Visit the Europcar<br />
desk for special<br />
easyJet rates.<br />
BON APPETIT<br />
UP TO €30 O’<br />
Scugnizz’ (72 Galleria<br />
Umberto, tel: 081 401<br />
199) This casual eatery<br />
tucked in Galleria<br />
Umberto is a great spot<br />
for espresso, snacks<br />
and people-watching.<br />
EXCLUSIVE ‘A<br />
Fenestella (23 Via<br />
Marechiaro, tel: 081<br />
769 0020) ‘A Fenestella<br />
exudes Old World charm<br />
with its elegant décor,<br />
captivating views and<br />
live piano music on<br />
weekends. Neapolitanstyle<br />
seafood dishes and<br />
homemade pastries are<br />
the house specialities.<br />
AFTER DARK<br />
LOW KEY<br />
Perditempo (8 Via San<br />
Pietro a Majella) As the<br />
name implies, it’s easy<br />
to “lose time” here<br />
as you sip wine while<br />
picking through the<br />
selection of books.<br />
LATE & LIVELY<br />
Madras Lounge (4 Via<br />
Fascione) Here you’ll<br />
fi nd warm lighting, soft<br />
couches and people<br />
grooving to world beat<br />
and Latin music.<br />
THIS MONTH<br />
GO From the little alleys<br />
to the peaceful garden<br />
of Santa Chiara, Naples’<br />
historic city centre<br />
dates back to the Greek<br />
settlement of Neapolis<br />
and is a UNESCO World<br />
Heritage Site.<br />
NO WAY!<br />
Naples’ Castel dell’Ovo,<br />
is so named because of<br />
a legend claiming that<br />
Latin poet Virgil placed<br />
an enchanted egg<br />
in its foundations.<br />
Tui Cameron<br />
ART<br />
CHIAJA<br />
SHOP Art Chiaja<br />
off ers uniquely<br />
Neapolitan souvenirs:<br />
delicate cameos,<br />
coral jewellery,<br />
gouache illustrations,<br />
ceramics, Pulcinella<br />
fi gurines and more<br />
(238 Via Chiaia).
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