The former hideout of the Robinhood of Madrid is now a restaurant – Las Cuevas de Luis Candelas. It’s right off the corner of Plaza Mayor under the arch where it was once called the “Arch of Knives.” It is believed that after his thieving acts, Luis Candelas would hide here to avoid arrest. For the less fortunate, whom he gave his loot, he is known as Don Luis. Undoubtedly, he is Spain’s version of Robinhood.
Nowadays, Las Cuevas de Luis Candelas is a famed themed restaurant. At the entrance, you will be greeted by a man dressed as Luis Candelas, the bandit. The interior is very Spanish and going in feels like stepping back in time. There are men with guitars serenading their patrons. The food was ok and – since it’s in Plaza Mayor, a touristy area, expect a price more than you expect.
But, yeah, dining here is a Spanish cultural experience! It’s fun. If you’re on a budget (like me), this is not a place for you to eat. I just had a glass of sangria and a few raciones. But, if you like to be culturally entertained at the end of your day, this place won’t disappoint you.
By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander
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Corfu is a beautiful green island in the Mediterranean, as you already know if you are avid readers of my blog. The island itself is pretty big, almost 600 Km², which make Corfu the 7th biggest island of the whole Greece. The total coast surface is 217 km, so you can imagine there is plenty of great beaches all around the island to choose from: Corfu comprises over 120 beaches!
I didn’t have time to explore them all, although I wish I had. But, as per my custom, I asked the locals which beaches were unmissable: here you can find my very own list of the 3 nudist beaches not to miss if you happen to visit Corfu.
Nudist Beaches of Corfu – Issos Beach
Issos is an idyllic beach on the southwest coast of Corfu; that part of the island is dominated by golden sandy beaches and shallow turquoise waters. And of course Issos has these features plus something more: it is by far one of the best nudist beaches of the entire island!
Image via Stockholm Visitor’s Board[/caption]
Known as the gay capital of Scandinavia, a visit to Stockholm at Christmastime will not be short of romantic, but also quirky, Nordic cliches. Think Christmas markets, wholesome and warming food, ice-skating under the stars and of course, the story of Santa Lucia.
It’s a place where beautiful, narrow streets meet even more beautiful open minds, so whether it’s a traditional or contemporary Christmas you like, Stockholm has something for you. It’s a fascinating time of year to visit, so here’s our guide to Swedish Christmas in the nation’s capital.
Christmas Comes Early
Swedish Christmas kicks off as early as the 13 December (or in and around), on St Lucia’s day. The celebration is derived from folklore of the first two monks who brought Christianity to Sweden. Lucia was a young Christian girl who was martyred for her faith, way, way back in 304. She would secretly smuggle food for the persecuted Christians in Rome, who lived in the catacombs under the city.
The Spanish island of Ibiza is one of Europe’s most gay-popular beach holiday destinations.
During the day, the Playa Es Cavallet gay nudist beach get busy around midday, with a party atmosphere kicking in from around 4PM in front of the Chiringay beach restaurant.
At night, Ibiza Town will grab your attention as the centre of the island’s gay scene, with numerous gay bars, restaurants and boutique shops clubs dotted around its quaint cobbled streets.
Where to Stay
The Los Molinos has been a popular choice with gay travellers for decades. This four-star, adults-only hotel is in a quiet part of Ibiza Town, just a 15-minute walk from the nightlife.
If you’re looking for options for your ski trip this winter, then coordinating your time on the snow with a gay ski week is a great way of guaranteeing plenty of fun while working up an appetite on the slopes.
Switzerland offers dramatic landscapes, perfect skiing and boarding conditions, and it’s also the home of Arosa Gay Ski Week.
The ski resort of Arosa boats 220 kilometres of pistes, spread across two spectacular valleys high in the Swiss Alps.
All levels of skiers and boarders are catered from, with beginner and intermediate runs if you’re wanting to build up your confidence, to steep challenging trails if you want the adrenaline of testing your nerve and your technique. Plus there’s plenty of powder-packed off-piste adventures to be had.
Periodically we’ll feature one of our properties here to let our readers know about some great gay friendly places to stay:
The Castillo Inn is a five minute walk from the heart of San Francisco’s gay area, The Castro, at Market and Castro Streets, and just two blocks to major city transportation.
Our guest rooms share a bathroom. Three of our rooms have queen beds, and the fourth has a double bed. Our rooms are clean, quiet and comfortable.
Stays at the Castillo Inn B&B include a continental breakfast each morning, and in the common area, we have a a refrigerator, microwave and a telephone with a voice mail for guest use.
Wireless internet access is also available for your laptop, and we have a fax as well for business travelers to use.
Ask for parking. The Castillo Inn, is a non-smoking establishment.
The next time your travels bring you to San Francisco, come stay with us at Castillo Inn Bed & Breakfast.
The Galapagos itineraries are tightly controlled by the Ecuadorian government and the Galapagos National Park because of their sensitive environment.
We did a luxury cruise aboard the Passion yacht, which alternates between 2 Galapagos itineraries each week. The first itinerary covers the Eastern islands and the second one covers the West islands.
The main difference between the two is the Western islands are younger and larger because they have witnessed volcanic eruptions more recently. As such they have a more volatile environment, but with stunning instagrammable landscapes. The Eastern Islands are older, so have had more time to develop vegetation, making them greener, attracting more wildlife. Both are amazing in their own way and will blow your mind, whichever you choose.
As we sailed in the Eastern islands, we’ve put together a detailed itinerary, which we experienced on board the Passion luxury yacht.
Periodically we’ll feature one of our properties here to let our readers know about some great gay friendly places to stay:
Quesadillas are normally associated with Mexico as tortillas with melted cheese. In Ecuador, quesadillas are a pentagonal shaped pastry filled with both sweet and savoury flavours, similar to Portuguese queijada, which also has a sweet/savoury crumbly cheese filling.
We learnt to make these treats during our foodie tour with Urban Adventures in Quito. They are a popular breakfast treat made fresh at the Panaderia y Pasteleria de San Juan bakery (located at N13-140 Deifilio Torres) and sold throughout the city.
, Madrid, Spain, Alain, Kep Calm and Wander,
El Retiro Park in Madrid is one place you can go when the summer heat is too much to bear. It’s a pleasant place to escape from all the academic shit I had last summer. The park has vast greenery and cool shades everywhere. But, I think the best way to explore the park is through a bicycle. Don’t make the mistake like I did – walked around for 5 hours (with rest intervals) under the searing heat. I slept that night with nasty burns on my shoulders and neck.
Here are some things to do at El Retiro Park
(aka Things I did at El Retiro)
Walk and explore the gardens. This well-manicured garden below is the most interesting and photogenic one. Look at those trees! They’re instagram-perfect, right?