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QUIZ: Which of these life-changing places should you visit?

Don't be sad that summer's nearly over. Start planning your next trip instead!

Published: 29 August 2019 05:00 CEST
Updated: 17 March 2021 11:50 CET
QUIZ: Which of these life-changing places should you visit?

Travel is transformative – it has the power to change you and the way you see the world. Together with Lufthansa, The Local has picked five life-changing places to inspire your next trip. Take the quiz to find out which one best suits your personality. 

 
<section> <h2>  </h2> <p> Which of these life-changing places should you visit?</p> </section><section> <h2>  </h2> <p> Lofoten Islands</p> <p>  </p> <p> It would be no exaggeration to describe Norway’s Lofoten Islands as breathtaking. Think dramatic mountains, colourful fishing villages, sheltered bays and the vast open sea, all illuminated by the unique Arctic light. Enjoy the slower pace in this picturesque archipelago and return to your regular life with new perspective.</p> </section><section> <h3>  </h3> <p> Mexico City</p> <p>  </p> <p> Each of Mexico City’s many neighbourhoods has its own distinctive character, like cool Condesa with its sidewalk cafes or Polanco with its world-class restaurants and the superb Soumaya Museum. Whatever you’re looking for, with a little research you’re bound to find it. It’s a city that will shake up everything you think you know about Mexico and open your eyes to the country’s abundance of culture and culinary delights.</p> </section><section> <h3>  </h3> <p> Bordeaux</p> <p>  </p> <p> This elegant, picturesque ‘wine capital of the world’ is one of France’s most celebrated gems. Bordeaux has the peaceful pace of the countryside as well as a busy city centre packed with restaurants and bars. It’s unmissable and just one small sip of its world-famous wine could change your palate forever.</p> </section><section> <h3>  </h3> <p> Cape Town</p> <p>  </p> <p> <span style=”color: rgb(33, 33, 33);”>Also known as the ‘Mother City’, Cape Town is breathtakingly beautiful with a trendy twist. The coastal city in South Africa is cosmopolitan but also quintessentially African. With its craggy mountain ranges, exquisite beaches and stunning scenery, it’s truly one of the world’s most life-changing places.</span></p> </section><section> <h3>  </h3> <p> New York City</p> <p>  </p> <p> Fast-paced and diverse with some of the world’s best cuisine and culture, New York City deserves its nickname ‘the city that never sleeps’. Just being in NYC, soaking in its electric atmosphere and experiencing everything it has to offer will no doubt leave its mark on you for good.</p> </section><section> <h2>  </h2> <p> When visiting somewhere new, you most enjoy…</p> </section><section> <h3>  </h3> <p> Pick a dish.</p> </section><section> <h3>  </h3> <p> What do you do at parties?</p> </section><section> <h3>  </h3> <p> Plan a first date.</p> </section><section> <h3>  </h3> <p> Describe your personal style.</p> </section>

Click here to discover more life-changing places

This content was produced by The Local Creative Studio and sponsored by Lufthansa.

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IN IMAGES: Spain’s ‘scrap cathedral’ lives on after creator’s death

For over 60 years, former monk Justo Gallego almost single-handedly built a cathedral out of scrap materials on the outskirts of Madrid. Here is a picture-based ode to his remarkable labour of love.

Published: 30 November 2021 10:33 CET
IN IMAGES: Spain's 'scrap cathedral' lives on after creator's death
File photo taken on August 3, 1999 shows Justo Gallego Martinez, then 73, posing in front of his cathedral. Photo: ERIC CABANIS / AFP

The 96-year-old died over the weekend, but left the unfinished complex in Mejorada del Campo to a charity run by a priest that has vowed to complete his labour of love.

Gallego began the project in 1961 when he was in his mid-30s on land inherited from his family after a bout of tuberculosis forced him to leave an order of Trappist monks.

Today, the “Cathedral of Justo” features a crypt, two cloisters and 12 towers spread over 4,700 square metres (50,600 square feet), although the central dome still does not have a cover.

He used bricks, wood and other material scavenged from old building sites, as well as through donations that began to arrive once the project became better known.

A woman prays at the Cathedral of Justo on November 26, 2021. (Photo by Gabriel BOUYS / AFP)
A woman prays at the Cathedral of Justo on November 26, 2021. (Photo by Gabriel BOUYS / AFP)
 

The building’s pillars are made from stacked oil drums while windows have been cobbled and glued together from shards of coloured glass.

“Recycling is fashionable now, but he used it 60 years ago when nobody talked about it,” said Juan Carlos Arroyo, an engineer and architect with engineering firm Calter.

Men work at the Cathedral of Justo on November 26, 2021 in Mejorada del Campo, 20km east of Madrid.
Men work at the Cathedral of Justo on November 26, 2021 in Mejorada del Campo, 20km east of Madrid. Photo: (Photo by Gabriel BOUYS / AFP)

The charity that is taking over the project, “Messengers of Peace”, hired the firm to assess the structural soundness of the building, which lacks a permit.

No blueprint

“The structure has withstood significant weather events throughout its construction,” Arroyo told AFP, predicting it will only need some “small surgical interventions”.

Renowned British architect Norman Foster visited the site in 2009 — when he came to Spain to collect a prize — telling Gallego that he should be the one getting the award, Arroyo added.

Religious murals on a walls of Justo's cathedral. (Photo by Gabriel BOUYS / AFP)
Religious murals on a walls of Justo’s cathedral. (Photo by Gabriel BOUYS / AFP)
 

The sturdiness of the project is surprising given that Gallego had no formal training as a builder, and he worked without a blueprint.

In interviews, he repeatedly said that the details for the cathedral were “in his head” and “it all comes from above”.

Builders work on the dome of the Cathedral of Justo on November 26th. (Photo by Gabriel BOUYS / AFP)
Builders work on the dome of the Cathedral of Justo on November 26th. (Photo by Gabriel BOUYS / AFP)
 

The complex stands in a street called Avenida Antoni Gaudi, named after the architect behind Barcelona’s iconic Sagrada Familia basilica which has been under construction since 1883.

But unlike the Sagrada Familia, the Cathedral of Justo Gallego as it is known is not recognised by the Roman Catholic Church as a place of worship.

Visit gaze at the stained glass and busts in of the cathedral's completed sections. (Photo by Gabriel BOUYS / AFP)
Visit gaze at the stained glass and busts in of the cathedral’s completed sections. (Photo by Gabriel BOUYS / AFP)
 

‘Worth visiting’

Father Angel Garcia Rodriguez, the maverick priest who heads Messengers of Peace, wants to turn Gallego’s building into an inclusive space for all faiths and one that is used to help the poor.

“There are already too many cathedrals and too many churches, that sometimes lack people,” he said.

“It will not be a typical cathedral, but a social centre where people can come to pray or if they are facing difficulties,” he added.

A photo of Justo Gallego Martinez on display at his cathedral following his passing. (Photo by Gabriel BOUYS / AFP)
A photo of Justo Gallego Martinez on display at his cathedral following his passing. (Photo by Gabriel BOUYS / AFP)
 

Father Angel is famous in Spain for running a restaurant offering meals to the homeless and for running a church in central Madrid where pets are welcome and the faithful can confess via iPad.

Inside the Cathedral of Justo, volunteers continued working on the structure while a steady stream of visitors walked around the grounds admiring the building in the nondescript suburb.

“If the means are put in, especially materials and money, to finish it, then it will be a very beautiful place of worship,” said Ramon Calvo, 74, who was visiting the grounds with friends.

FIND OUT MORE: How to get to Justo’s Cathedral and more amazing images

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