LONDRES + MANCHESTER EN JULIO

About the destination: Of all European capitals, London lives deepest in the imagination of travelers. We absorb London before we know it exists and when we finally approach the city, it does not disappoint. There are the red double-deckers, the bobbies and impassive guards at Buckingham, Westminster Abbey, and the notes of Big Ben, sounding familiar, as we have heard them before. We see these things with satisfaction. Yet there is much to surprise. London is not quaint. London is not a museum, though you could spend all of your time going from one to the next. It is a booming, urban sprawl, with traffic snarls, shops, and an astonishing international population. Visit the many monuments with nearly a millennium's worth of history, from the grave of Chaucer to the pub where the captain of the Mayflower drank to Piccadilly Circus, one of London’s most photographed sights. But don’t miss contemporary London, with its intensely active theatres, international cuisine, political demonstrations, the latest in music and fashion, punks and peers, and everyone in between. In 1777, writer Samuel Johnson said when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life, and the phrase is still true. There's something different to experience every day in London.

About the destination: Manchester with its interesting museums, redeveloping city centre and notable musical heritage, is an exciting place to visit. It has a rich history and culture, and of course is home of the planet's most popular football team, Manchester United. But Manchester is above all a fun city that loves to entertain its guests. The local Gothic Cathedral is a distinctive architectural landmark of the region. Manchester's Gothic cathedral has a beguiling interior, laced with intricate wood carvings and mediaeval furnishings. Nearby there is the Chetham's Library and School of Music, believed to be the oldest public library in the world as well as Manchester's oldest building. Rich in grandiose Victorian and Edwardian architecture, the enormous neo-Gothic Town Hall on Albert Square is a spectacle inside and out, with murals of Manchester's history decorating the building's grand ceremonial hall. For art lovers, Manchester Art Gallery has a superb collection of British and European art. Undeniably, the uncrowned capital of the north is a great place to shop, drink and eat. Reconstructed after an IRA bomb attack in 1996, the Millennium Quarter is home to Manchester's mainstream shopping temples, while the Corn Exchange is a haven of fashion and style boutiques. The nightlife scene is legendary with many traditional pubs rubbing shoulders with sophisticated lounge bars and loud clubs. So while it is a city with a past, Manchester has its eyes on the future.