“I recently planned a trip to Spain for friends & clients, Courtney & Matt Kistler, who absolutely loved it and wanted to share their experiences with you. ”
The European vacation; so many choices, so little time. When first heading overseas it’s London, Paris and Rome that seem to take precedence for many. After all Tower Bridge, Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower, the Trevi fountain, and many other iconic images like gondoliers in Venice and the King’s Guard at Buckingham Palace are well known in the USA. With so many incredible and diverse locations it’s possible to travel to England, France, and Italy many times and still not see it all, so return trips to all these places are on a wishlist for me. Last summer our son landed a summer internship in Barcelona so naturally, a visit to Spain moved straight to the top of the list. Taking into account the time we could spend with our son (when he wasn’t working) we limited our trip to the area in and around Barcelona on the northeastern coast of Spain in the province of Catalonia.
Here’s where it’s a little confusing – Barcelona is known as the capital of Catalonia while Madrid is the capital of Spain. Even though Catalonia is part of the Spanish nation, it is a distinct region that has its own customs that make it unique. The city was founded by the Romans (still today you can visit many roman ruins in and around the city) and has a more mediterranean vibe than Madrid, which is hispanic in origin. There are two official languages in the city: Catalan and Spanish. It’s also an international business center and we found nearly everyone speaks some English as well so it is easy to get around and communicate. Still, we wanted to maximize our time and budget so Luxurious Journeys planned the perfect itinerary with a guide, transportation, and excursions to make the most of our trip. Barcelona is known for its stunning architecture, Mediterranean atmosphere, and passionate culture so I expected it to be interesting and picturesque, but I had no idea how beautiful and magical it truly is.
We stayed in a hotel near the central Plaça de Catalunya and it is the perfect location from which to get a feel for the city as it is an easy walk to most of the sights in all directions. It is a modern, central location with stores & businesses you know (Apple, Zara, Nike, name brand luxury designers) and great people watching along the main street, Passeig de Gràcia
In the other direction, the Gothic District is the oldest parts of the city of Barcelona including remains of the city’s Roman wall and several notable medieval landmarks. You can walk the famous La Rambla, filled with shops and sights to the Mediterranean seafront.
Walking the narrow, winding, streets of the Gothic Quarter is like stepping back in time. Each turn brings more history plus shops, restaurants, churches, open markets, and beautiful plazas. There are many shops to explore. Some of my favorites filled with beautiful leather goods and lots of shoes! Espadrilles originated in this part of Spain and there are many shops where you can find these sandals and have them customized. It was easy to find tapas, coffee or shopping on any street, but our guide planned a gastronomic tour of this historic part of the city and we were hosted at some authentic Catalonian tapas restaurants that were a bit off the path. It was fun to see it through the eyes of our local guide and avoid some of the more popular tourist spots. When it comes to Spanish food perhaps the best-known dish is paella. It was available nearly everywhere, but since we love to cook Luxurious Journeys helped us to experience making our own with a local chef in a beautiful private kitchen. (Sent Sovi Barcelona) What fun that was for our family! We left there full of delicious food and delightful memories and with a darn good paella recipe in hand.
Being lovers of good food we are naturally also great lovers of good wine, so a trip to a Spanish winery seemed the perfect day in the country. We headed out just a one hour drive from the city to Penedes, a charming wine growing region known for its quaint villages, scenic mountain views & wineries. At Pares Balta, a winery with origins stretching back to 1790, we toured organic vineyards among hills and Iberian ruins and tasted wines and cava (Spanish sparkling wines).
Barcelona is also the city where several famous Spanish artists once worked or called home. Perhaps the most famous, Pablo Picasso studied here and today there is a museum to showcase his life and many of his works. Our guide knew so much about him and the museum that our visit was especially enlightening. Joan Miro was born in Barcelona and developed his distinct style here in sculpture, painting, and ceramics. You can see his works at many locations around the city as well as in museums. But it is the architecture of Antoni Gaudi whose unusual modernist structures you most often see as the defining images of Barcelona. Park Guell, Casa Batllo, and the incredible La Sagrada Familia, which is still under construction after more than 100 years, all are must see locations in Barcelona. That popularity also makes them crowded (in the summer especially) so having a guide here was wonderful in working around the lines and the crowds.
Considered by many another must see while in this part of Spain is Montserrat, a spectacularly beautiful Benedictine monk mountain retreat about one hour outside the city. Not only is Montserrat Monastery of significant religious importance but the natural beauty surrounding the monastery is awesome. This incredible location is famous for its holy grotto where visitations by the Virgin Mary were reported. If you enjoy walking and aren’t afraid of heights, there are also paths through the mountains where you will experience magnificent views of the unusual rock formations and Catalonian countryside. Trying to squeeze so much into our visit, we were’t sure we wanted to take the time for the drive to Montserrat, but were glad that we did as it was just breathtaking. Having a guide and driver here helped make this adventure so much more satisfying as they knew how to time it perfectly so we were able to see the highlights, enjoy our drive up the mountain at our own pace and still make it back to the city for our evening plans.
While we stayed on the go for the entire seven days, having the guides, drivers, advance tickets and tours allowed us to relax and enjoy our Spanish vacation. When we would arrive back at the hotel after dinner it was so nice to be able to have a nightcap in the rooftop lounge and recap the day’s adventures knowing that tomorrow was already planned and ready for us to enjoy. This region of Spain has it all; art, food, wine, history, mountains, city, and sea. While it’s impossible to do it all, planning with Luxurious Journeys helped us experience the highlights and do the most with our time and travel dollars. I’m just so grateful to have experienced Barcelona and now understand its reputation as one of the most beautiful and vibrant cities in the world.
Did you love what you read and want to plan your own luxurious journey to Spain? Please reach out to Susie McMahon of Luxurious Journeys. www.luxuriousjourneys.com
