|
By Daniel Betancourt
 |
 |
|
Royal
Palace.
Photo by Spanish Tourism Board |
Touring Europe is definitely one of the most
unforgettable experiences one may have in their lives. It’s summer
and most of us have that inkling luxury to take a vacation somewhere
like Europe. So why not visit the glorious cities of Madrid, Berlin
and Lisbon.
MADRID
Madrid may not have the glam and glitz of her
northerly sis, Barcelona, but the Spanish capital has all the buzz
to merit a tack on the gay map. The gaybourhood of Chueca teems with
Tapas bars and run-down nightclubs that will keep you up until the
wee hours in the morning while the city plays hosts to one of the
continent’s boisterous pride parades every July.
In 1561, Madrid came to be when Philip II
decided to move his capital to the geographic center of Iberia in
order to quell rebellions happening in any direction. Despite its
harsh winters and scorching summers, it nevertheless grew into a
metropolis fit to wear the Spanish crown.
At its center, the Palacio Real and Royal Armory
loom as testaments of the enduring monarchy. Within walking distance
is the downtown’s backbone: Plaza Mayor, Puerta del Sol and Calle
de Alcalá.
Along Paseo del Prado stand three of the
greatest museums in Western Europe—Museo del Prado,
Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Reina Sofia. Museo del Prado houses the
extensive royal art collection, which includes Greek and Roman
sculptures and monumental paintings by Rubens, Goya, El Greco and
Velásquez. Not far is the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, a private
panorama of the best of North Atlantic painting. Meanwhile,
Picasso’s Guernica and other Spanish moderns including those by
Tapiès and Zóbel are on display at the Reina Sofia. Jean
Nouvel’s dramatic extension for the museum has given it more floor
space and an impressive public art library.
Beyond the Prado is the Parque del Buen Retiro,
with vibrant gardens, forested nooks and a crystal palace that once
housed tropical plants from the Philippines. Just to the north is
Salamanca, the poshest and most expensive real estate in the
country. Over here former resident, Victoria Beckham, famously
muttered her first words in Spanish: Dónde Gucci? Located on Calle
Ortega y Gasset, the shop stands beside other outposts of top
fashion houses. But it is the flagship store of Spanish maletier,
Loewe, that one must visit. Luggage and handbags in butter-soft
leather is the perfect pasalubong for yourself. For cheaper trend
shopping, walk back to Chueca and Malasaña, the address of edgy,
young artists constantly pushing the envelope for Spanish design.
For a night of fun, it is Chueca again,
beginning with its plaza. On the other hand, the bars of La Latina
and dodgy Lavapiés offer a formidable straight alternative. End
your evening with Santa Inés churros y chocolate.
How to get there: Air France-KLM via Amsterdam,
Thai Airways via Rome and Bangkok.
How to go around: Madrid’s Metro is one of the
cheapest in Europe when it comes to transportations but walk if you
can.
Where to stay: Chueca Pension, Hotel Urban,
Hotel Puerta de America
Local bible: Zero and B-Guided Magazines, El Dibuk free guide maps.
Further afield: El Escorial, Toledo, Segovia, Ávila.
BERLIN
We have to thank Christopher Isherwood for
putting Berlin into our radar. Though remnants of his Berlin remain,
German reunification has fed the city’s architectural and cultural
renaissance in the last decade and has consequently redefined its
identity.
The capital of Europe’s biggest economy has
been wearing the under construction sign since the fall of the Wall,
but has made it a delight for lovers of architecture. Highlights
include Mies van der Rohe’s historic Neue Nationalgalerie, walking
distance from Potsdamer Platz, the urban development designed by
Renzo Piano. Daniel Liebeskind left his mark with the New Jewish
Museum, Frank Gehry with DZ Bank at Pariser Platz while Jean Nouvel
has Galleries Layatte. Embassy Row on Tiergarten’s south side and
the Nordic and Central American embassy complexes are also fine
examples of modern architecture.
Old landmarks were also given a breath of new
life. The Brandenburg Gate has been cleaned and restored, the Swiss
Embassy given a boxy annex and the German Reichstag a glass cupola
designed by Sir Norman Foster. Buildings in the East like Kino
International on Karl-Marx-Allee give the city a one of a kind
Communist glam.
For the lovers of the arts, the Museuminsel’s
Pergamonmuseum and Alte Nationalgalerie are a must. Important modern
art galleries including the former train station Hamburger Bahnhof
and the Helmut Newton Foundation. Meanwhile, Schloss Charlottenburg
has a small but fine collection of Picasso and Klee. Fans of
classical music must not miss a concert at the Berlin Philharmonic
or one the city’s three main operas.
History buffs can visit Checkpoint Charlie or
follow the trail of the Berlin Wall. The elevator at the Fersehturm
at Alexanderplatz leads to a fantastic 360-degree view of the city.
Those who want to take it slow can take a walk or picnic at
Tiergarten, a huge park in the center.
Nice cafes abound in the gay districts of Schöneberg
(around Nollendorfplatz) and Kreuzberg. But for the classy and über-hip,
stay at Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg. These areas also have small,
quaint shops. The main shopping streets are upscale
Friedrischstrasse, perpendicular to Unter den Linden, and high
street Kurfürstendamm on the west. Stilwerk on Kantstrasse is an
emporium of design ware while a visit to the institution KaDeWe is
highly recommended.
How to get there: Singapore Airlines and
Emirates via Frankfurt with connections to both Tegel and Schönefeld
airports. ICE high-speed trains are available.
How to go around: Most of the sights are along
the Elysian Unter den Linden and Tiergarten, an axis serviced by Bus
100. The Berlin Card gives discounted Metro tickets and museums
entrances. Bikes are also available for rent.
Where to stay: The Four Seasons Berlin, Hotel
Adlon, Citystay Hostel
Local bible: Siegelsäule Magazine
Further afield: Schloss Sans Souci in Potsdam is a must.
LISBON
The westernmost capital on the European
landmass, Lisbon is the spot where Portuguese sailors plotted their
destiny of discovering and conquering lands out west and building an
empire stretching from the Pacific to the Amazon. Vestiges of this
once glorious and expansive kingdom can still be found among the
city’s seven hills, despite the periods of decline and stagnation
that marked the centuries between today and the age of exploration.
The Baixa is traditionally known as the historic
downtown district of Lisbon. It is bounded by the Praça do Comércio,
a wide plaza built after the 1755 earthquake devastated the city.
Its Arco Triunfal rises above the open space and the mounted statue
of Dom Jose I, king of Portugal at the time of the disaster. On the
other end are the plazas of Feigueira and Rossio, the home of the
celebrated yet impoverished Dona Maria II National Theater that
hosts intermittent classical performances. In between is a gridwork
of countless shopping arcades and offices in medium-rise buildings
built under the direction of Mârques de Pombal, the architect of
the reconstruction.
East of the Baixa are the oldest districts of
Lisbon. The medieval Sé Catedral, the city’s main cathedral,
dates back to the 12th century. Nearby is the Igreja de Santo António,
a 300-year-old baroque church built over the birthplace of
Portuguese-native Saint Anthony of Padua. Its crypt has a shrine
visited by many pilgrims praying for the sick, including Pope John
Paul II.
Lisbon was founded on the hill of Castelo
district. Towering over it is the Castelo São Jorge, a Moorish
fortification named after the patron of Portugal. From its
cobble-stoned veranda, you can have an unmitigated of lower Lisbon
and the Tagus river emptying to the Atlantic. At its bottom is
Alfama, the city’s oldest bairro. Here, one must surrender to the
labyrinthine network of narrow streets, which promises surprises of
Portuguese quotidian life: a fish market, fountains and courtyards,
cafés, grandmothers gathering children for dinner. Uphill is Graça,
home of one of Lisbon’s oldest churches. The corridors of adjacent
monastery are lined with fine Portuguese tiles while its rooftop
affords a view of Lisbon upriver and the neighboring Panteão
Nacional.
Fashioned according the Champs Elysees, the
Avenida da Liberdade, north of the Baixa, is lined with European
designer boutiques and trendy cafés popular with visitors. But the
most interesting shops are found in the Chiado and the Bairro Alto
districts, to the Baixa’s west. These two are also the
headquarters for the city’s undersized but interesting nightlife.
How to get there: Air France-KLM via Amsterdam.
There are overnight trains and buses from Madrid.
How to go around: Within the old district, the
trams are the way to go. Line 28 is a picturesque ride, passing
through the Sé Cathedral and Igreja de Graça. The Metro has been
refurbished and very efficient.
Where to stay: Pensão Anjo Azul, Hotel Bairro
Alto
Local bible: Con Vida free guides.
Further afield: Sintra, Belem
|
