november-2010

114 | DESTINATION GUIDES
Barcelona
Spain
tel: 93 302 1131)
A touristy restaurant
by day, on Friday and
Saturday nights the
stone cellars of El
Paraigua become the
stage for some excellent
acoustic concerts
featuring pop, funk, soul
and samba music.
LATE & LIVELY Moog
(3 Arc del Teatre, tel:
93 301 7282) A tiny
space, Moog is arguably
the best techno club
in the Old Town and a
favourite with fun-loving
backpackers. Guest DJs
from Berlin often play
on Wednesdays.
THIS MONTH
SHOP The people
of Barcelona love few
things more than a fancy
dress occasion. If you’ve
got an invite to a ball or
carnival then drop by
fi rst to Arlequí Mascares,
where an array of cool
and kitsch masks are
ready to give you an air
of mystery (7 Carrer
de Princesa).
SEE Come November
and, even in Barcelona,
beach weather is a thing
of the past and it’s time
to dally with culture once
more. L’Alternativa Film
Festival takes place from
13–21 November in the
CCCB art centre and
provides a platform for
homegrown fi lm-makers
to showcase their stuff
(alternativa.cccb.org).
GO Sants district is
most famous for its train
station but, despite its
lack of major attractions,
offers a nice change of
pace from more touristic
zones. Highlights include
Mercat de Sants, an
example of Modernista
architecture, and the
area around Riego street,
where tapas bars hum
with chattering mates
and clattering plates.
ESCAPE The sleepy
coastal resort of Calafell
is an ideal place to
combine a brisk seaside
stroll with exploring
Catalonia’s history. The
town’s part-original,
part-restored Iberian
fortifi ed village recounts
how these surprisingly
sophisticated tribesfolk
lived in pre-Roman times
(ciutadellaiberica.com).
NO WAY!
Local authorities
were not pleased with
Shakira’s recent antics.
She chose to shoot the
video for her new song
Loca in the city without
asking permission
and may face fi nes for
dancing in a fountain.
Duncan Rhodes/
Barcelona-life.com
HESPERIA
SANT JUST
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
At the end of Diagonal
Avenue, the hotel
offers you all the
essentials for a relaxed
and comfortable stay.
Breakfast included.
From €100, book at
hotels.easyJet.com.
Bari
Italy
DIALLING CODE +39
CURRENCY €
FLY FROM
Milan (MXP)
FROM THE
AIRPORT
TAXI
SINCE
2007
Pre-book your taxi
at easyJet.com.
A local taxi costs €25.
Route 16 goes
to the centre.
Tickets: €0.77.
Visit the Europcar
desk for special
easyJet rates.
BON APPETIT
UP TO €30 Bar
Centro (Corso Vittorio
Emanuele) This central
bar has a fantastic
selection of pastries,
cakes and ice cream. It’s
the perfect place from
which to plan a day
exploring the delightful
town of Alberobello.
EXCLUSIVE Donna
Gina (5–9 Via Cala
Porto, tel: 080 424
0914) Together with the
idyllic views, you can fi nd
some of the fi nest fi sh
recipes for many miles
around at Donna Gina.
The food is exceptional
and the wine list
perfectly complements
the cuisine.
AFTER DARK
LOW KEY
Kamera Kafé (Piazza
Mercantile) A good,
relaxed spot to kick
off the evening with
a fantastic central
location on the
Piazza Mercantile.
LATE & LIVELY
Autodrom Club
(Contrada Lamandia,
Monopoli) The
Autodrom Club always
has good events on.
Whether you’re a fan
of live music, dance
and cabaret acts, or
prefer a club night
with top DJs, this is
the place to come
to be entertained.
THIS MONTH
SHOP Between the
end of summer and the
build up to Christmas,
many sensible
shopkeepers have
some juicy sales on to
attract customers. As a
result, the high streets
are the place to shop
throughout November.
SEE The Feast of
Sant Trifone, on
14 November, is a
traditional celebration
featuring a horseback
ride by the young boys
of the town, who dress
up as angels and sit
atop heavily decorated
horses. Then, when
dusk falls, the big guns
come out and there are
elaborate fi reworks and
bands playing.
NO WAY!
Primitivo wine gets its
name from a church
priest from Puglia who
fi rst noticed a grape
variety that is ready to
harvest in August, well
before other varieties.
Max Keep
Basel/
Mulhouse/
Freiburg
Switzerland
DIALLING CODE +41
CURRENCY CHF
FLY FROM
Alicante,
Amsterdam, Barcelona,
Berlin, Bordeaux, Cagliari,
Copenhagen, Corsica
(Ajaccio), Dresden,
Düsseldorf, Edinburgh,
Gran Canaria, Hamburg,
Istanbul, Lisbon, London
(LGW), Madrid, Málaga,
Marrakech, Nantes,
Naples, Nice, Olbia,
Rome (FCO), Porto,
Pristina, Split, Tel Aviv,
Thessaloniki, Venice
FROM THE
AIRPORT
TAXI
SINCE
2004
The fare to Basel
is CHF 40 and
Mulhouse €40.
Route 50 takes you
to Basel’s main
train station. Tickets:
CHF3.80. In France,
shuttles go to the station
in Saint-Louis for trains
to Mulhouse. Tickets: €1.
Visit the Europcar
desk for special
easyJet rates.
BON APPETIT
UP TO €15 Namamen
Japanese Ramenbar
(1 Steinenberg, tel: 06
1271 8068) This sleek
restaurant next to the
theatre serves fi lling
Japanese soups that
are just the thing to
warm you up on a cold
November day. Maybe
not ideal for a romantic
date: they offer bibs
for a reason!
UP TO €30 Wistub
Brenner (1 Rue Turenne,
Colmar, tel: 03 8941
4233) Authentic Alsatian
cuisine is on offer here,
from tripes riesling to
escargot (snails) and
Munster cheese. There’s
also a great selection
of local wines.
UP TO €50 Der Vierte
König (20 Blumenrain,
tel: 06 1261 5442)
Next door to Basel’s
luxurious Drei Könige
(Three Kings) hotel,
Der Vierte König (The
Fourth King) offers
mid-priced cuisine at
its best. With a rustic
but stylish interior, an
excellent menu, and
the best wine list of any
Basel restaurant
in its class, this is
a local highlight.
EXCLUSIVE La
Maison des Têtes (19
Rue des Têtes, Colmar,
tel: 03 8924 4343) This
elegant restaurant,
housed in a spectacular
17th-century house,
is one of Colmar’s
fi nest, serving Alsatian
specialities such as
homemade foie gras
and roasted duck.
Find it next to the
Unterlinden Museum,
which is worth popping
in to fi rst to work up
a bit of an appetite.
AFTER DARK
LOW KEY
Kunsthallen Bar
(7 Steinenberg,
tel: 06 1272 4233)