The Trip of a Lifetime...The Palace Hotel

I loved Barcelona...I left a piece of my heart there...

I loved the modern Hotel Arts, as well...

...but the gorgeous Palace Hotel in Madrid was my favorite of the two.

Why, you ask?

Well...because I am, at heart, a classical kind of girl. Technology is great, but I love old-fashioned luxury. There's something about rich woods, crown molding, and turn-of-the-century aesthetics. I'll take the stairs over an elevator, plush over plastic, and simple beauty over ornate elegance any day.

Relatively speaking, The Palace Hotel isn't even that OLD...but in cosmopolitan Madrid, it was practically ancient. It was, in truth, a palace...that the King sold to turn into a hotel. There are suites inside that would leave you breathless...

Now, of course, our room was very simple...comfortable...peaceful. No extravagant suites for us!! But we had a lovely little balcony and a plush-y bed to rest our weary heads for a few hours...so really, what more did we need?

There were several things that I loved about the Palace...the first was our bathroom...

Although not nearly as fancy as the Hotel Arts, it provided something that made my husband extremely happy (which then, of course, makes me happy)...the shower had a knob that let you choose the EXACT temperature of the water.

See, the shower at the Hotel Arts was spacious and awesome, with a bench and 3 different shower heads that shot at you from all angles and got you SERIOUSLY clean...but the temperature knobs were testy. Jason and I have very different opinions when it comes to showers...I like mine piping hot...so my skin is all red and blotchy when I get out. He likes his lukewarm (which to me equates FREEZING)...

...so at the Hotel Arts, we spent a lot of time just figuring out how to adjust it to our PERFECT temperature (especially after following one another in or out)...

...whereas at the Palace, we just had to set the knob at the desired temperature (in Celsius), and viola!! Perfect showers!!

Another favorite was The Rotunda...the great central room where we had breakfast each morning...

The whole room is covered by a GIGANTIC stained glass dome, centered by an ENORMOUS chandelier. As the day travels the hours from morning to night, the stained glass takes on different hues and shades, alternately lighting and shadowing the room as it reflects the sun. And at night...reflecting the glowing lamps from INSIDE...it's sparkling.

Every time we stopped back at the hotel, we took a few moments to stroll into the Rotunda and see what changes were playing out across the dome...it looked different throughout the trip, and each viewing was more beautiful than the last. I enjoyed these moments searching out the small nuances and changes throughout the day...it's rewarding to look for the small, seemingly inconsequential, beauties in life.

It didn't take me long to find the signature of the artists, either.

Another favorite I wish to share wasn't IN the Palace, but rather...NEXT to it.

The building next to our hotel had a great clock...and on the hour, it rang a beautiful tune with bells, and little Spanish puppet people came out and did a little dance.

It was a little reminiscent of It's A Small World in Disneyland...and since I am a BIG Disney fan, I saw this as a plus. Of course, all these colorful characters represented different facets of Spanish life and culture...from the matador, to the flamenco dancer, the revolutionary, and the country woman. I tried to time our exits with the clock so I could see it as often as possible...I never tired of it...and thankfully, my husband was very patient with this piece of child-like wonder.

Madrid holds the promise of being as thoroughly magical as Barcelona...and I cannot wait to share it with you!

The Trip of a Lifetime - Adios, Barcelona!!...Hola, Madrid!!

I can't believe it's already time to leave Barcelona...and there's still so much to share with you...

Our ramblings through the bustling neighborhoods, the many amazing restaurants we had the pleasure of eating at (can I recommend The Hoffman to you? AMAZING!!!), the colorful characters, eclectic shops, and have I already mentioned that Spainiards LOVE their chocolate? They even have a museum dedicated to it...

But to write about every little thing in Barcelona would require so many posts, and as everyone has lives, and needs to do more than read epic blog posts, I guess it's time to leave artistic, original, and beautiful Barcelona for the much more urban and cosmopolitan capital of Spain, Madrid...

We had to leave VERY early in the morning, so since we were up. Jason and I jogged down the pier to take pictures of the sun rising over the Mediterranean...

With the boats and endless blue ocean...it was truly stunning...

From all shades of pink to fiery oranges, the sun rise took us on a kaleidoscopic journey through the passionate colors of Barcelona.

Then it was on to a part of the trip that I had been excited about for weeks...truly one of the things I had been anticipating most...a ride on the AVE high speed train from Barcelona to Madrid...

I know it's a little nerdy...but I couldn't wait to ride a bullet train...to watch the scenery speed by at 300kmh...to make an 7-8 hour car ride turn into a 3-and-a-half hour train ride (and only that long because we called at all stops...without stopping, it would've taken only 2-and-a-half-hours...but I'm glad we stopped, because I loved seeing all the charming little villages).

The trains were sleek and modern...and best of all, we got to sit in the Club Car, where we were waited on hand and foot by servers, and had great seats by gigantic windows.

I am VERY excited...

I am also VERY tired...we hadn't slept more than 4 hours a night since we got there (except that unfortunate night that the hotel lost power and our alarm didn't go off and we woke up 3 hours late)...

See...in Spain, they eat VERY late...lunch is between 2-4, and then dinner doesn't start until 9pm, at the EARLIEST. And then, the first hour is all cocktails and socializing, with the first course being served sometime around 10-10:30pm. So we weren't returning to the hotel until AT LEAST midnight...and we'd always promise ourselves that we were going to go STRAIGHT to bed...but it never failed that we'd meet friends and they'd want to go out and we'd always say: "SURE!!!"...so we were dragging our butts into bed at 2 or 3 in the morning, only to hop up at 7...just a few hours later.

Almost everyone was in the same predicament as I was...and the minute the got on the train, they reclined their seats and went to sleep...including my husband...

But I had been looking forward to this so much that I didn't sleep at all...instead staying glued to the window as a beautiful pastoral Spain whizzed on by...

Hundreds of miles of orchards, vineyards, and quaint and crumbling villages, all with ramshackle gardens that exploded with color and vegetation...little people pulling carts or leading horses...women and girls wrapped in shawls, little boys playing games...no cares for the ancient medieval walls that deteriorated around the fields...probably once marking various lands of noble families...

Hardly a paved road in site...

I managed to stay awake the whole time, soaking it all in, reveling in the experience of being able to ride a high speed train in Spain. And all the while, marvelling at the science and technology allowing us to speed that fast over ground...

We arrived in Madrid, and without barely a breathe began the second part of our adventure. Like Barcelona, Madrid was a whirlwind "how-much-can-we-do-in-one-day" adventure...so I was grateful for the blissful hours I got to spend in a quiet sleepy Club Car, enjoying the provincial and rustic beauty of Espana...

The Trip of a Lifetime...Gaudi

Barcelona is teeming with artists...both old and new. The  old artists have left their marks all over the city...painting world-renowned art, sculpting breathtaking statues, and building towering cathedrals. New artists have covered Barcelona the same way...with modern sculptures along the beach, interestingly shaped skyscrapers that reach for the sky, and even some of the most beautiful graffiti art I've ever seen scrawled on doors and in alleys...

(although I have a problem with people who spray paint something illegible on a medieval building...it seemed the REAL artists...the ones that were actually painting ART...kept to brick walls and metal grates...the annoying "taggers" had far less respect for their predecessors and should be shot)

One of my favorite artists was an architect, and a fairly modern one, at that. His name was Antoni Gaudi. Gaudi lived from 1852 to 1926, and spent primarily all that time in the Catalan area. He is best known for his part in the Modernisme art movement. His work is thoughtful, inspirational, deeply devoted to his religious persuasions and his love of nature. He believed all creativity stemmed from the people of the Mediterranean...while the people of the North could only imitate .

The bountiful amount of art I saw in Barcelona leads me to believe he may have been on to something.

In Barcelona...we got to see several example of Gaudi's genius...

The first was the Parc Guell, originally designed to be a Master Planned Community, and now a beautiful park with an amazing common area surrounded by a giant mosaic undulating bench.

I could go on and on about this park...from the Hall beneath the common area, the aqueducts, the buildings...and the sheer genius of Gaudi and how he thought of every little thing even how to drain the excess water when it rains...

His mosaic work, though...was the real treat. He pioneered using "trash"...broken glass, teacups, plates...ANYTHING...to make amazing mosaic accents to most all of his work...

We also had the opportunity to tour Casa Mila...one of the most recognizable examples of his work...with it's characteristic "cake melting in the rain" facade. Although the house and all it's intricacies is truly beautiful...the most stunning part is the roof...

With hills and valleys, tunnels and tile work...it's a playground several stories above the bustling Exiample district below...

With panoramic views of the quaint streets and inner alleys and gardens of Barcelonas people...and most importantly...

A gorgeous window to the pièce de résistance of Gaudi's work...the La Sagrada Familia.

No trip to Barcelona would be complete without taking even a whirlwind tour of this stunning church. I could spend pages and pages describing his inspiration, the plans, the genius...everything...but being that this is a blog...and needs to sum up a story quick...let me just tell you...

It's breath-taking.

There is NO comparison. You simply wander around...unable to close your mouth...forced to ignore the crick in your neck as your eyes are raised ever higher and higher...

 The stained glass is brilliant...and soon with grace every sunlit opening...

There is even sunlit being funneled from within the lofty columns to shine through great glass ovals that are strategically placed to light the church within...

Gaudi died before the church was completed...but he knew he would, and left extensive notes and plaster casts and models so future architects would be able to complete his vision. Many of those artifacts were lost in the Spanish Civil War...but with what has remained, and with computer technology, they continue work on the church today...feverishly trying to finish it before it's hundred year birthday in 2025.

There is another famous residence built by Gaudi in Barcelona...just 4 blocks South of the Casa Mila...known as Casa Batllo. Gaudi built it as a symbol to the patron saint of Barcelona, St. George (as in the St. George who slayed the dragon).

 If you use your imagination...you can see how the roof resembles the back of a great dragon, and the chimney a sword with a cross on the handle, piercing the dragons back. The balconies look like skulls.
In the first picture, you can see a queue of people lining up outside this house, desiring a tour. They had come a long way to explore this magnificent home...but were bring turned away.

See...the house had been reserved for a private party that evening, and since they were setting up...tours were cancelled that day. The people were very upset...but although Jason and I wanted to go inside...we weren't upset...because that private party was actually for The Cheesecake Factory.

That's right...our Gala dinner in Barcelona was to be in the Casa Batllo, where we would have free run of the building and it's docents all night long.

We had a marvelous evening there...touring the building, learning all about Gaudi and his work...I even got to ride in the teeny-tiny elevator. Everyone said it was like being in the house of Dr. Suess...all twisting and turning without a straight line to be seen...

But I loved every minute of it...and so did Jason. It was such an amazing opportunity to play and dine inside one of the most beautiful houses in the world...

And at night...looking up at the house with it all lit up...those balconies really DO look like skulls...

I loved every bit of exploring Barcelona...and there is just so much more I want to share with you...the restaurants, the hidden corners and gems, the interesting people we encountered along the way...

Until next post...

The Trip of a Lifetime - Las Ramblas

Las Ramblas is this gigantic pedestrian walk down the heart of Barcelona...from Placa Catalunya to the Columbus Monument by the sea. It's maybe a mile to a mile-and-a-half total...about 30 minutes if you walk pretty much straight through and don't look at anything.

But why would you do that?

There is so much to SEE...for example...dozens of the most elaborate street performers I have ever seen...each trying to out-do the next with the intricate nature of their costumes (take levitating Buddha-guy up above)...

There are carts set up with people selling small animals (birds and rabbits), beautiful flowers (MUCH cheaper, bigger variety, and in far better condition than any floral store I've EVER seen in the United States), tourist trinkets and postcards...you name it.

Plus, the sides of the streets are lined with interesting shops, bustling markets, and tempting restaurants.

And then...if you're not satisfied with turning loops on Las Ramblas, you can take a twisted side street and explore the narrow alleys of Barcelona...ending up in the Barri Gotic, or in tree-lined neighborhoods lined with balconies overflowing with flowers and supporting the days laundry...out to dry...

Our favorite stop on Las Ramblas was St. Josef Market...La Boqueria.

It was a crowded, bustling, shouting, shoving, eye-popping mecha of food and produce that made our heads spin and our stomachs rumble. Carts upon carts of the most delicious looking produce and meats and cheeses I had ever seen...in fact, carrying some fruits and vegetables I had NEVER seen...except maybe in pictures.

And everything was gigantic in size (cherries only slightly smaller than golf balls), shiny and ripe...without the wax and polish they put on fruit and vegetables in the States to make them look appealing.

These edible gems needed no make-up artist...they were GORGEOUS.

You could have traced us all over the market without ever seeing us...just by following the sound of my voice, saying over and over again: "LOOK at THIS!! Have you ever seen ANYTHING like it???"

Fresh pink fish, legs of famous Spanish jamon, freshly plucked chickens, pigeons, doves, and pheasants, nuts and seeds, stacks and rolls of beautiful milky cheeses wrapped in thick rinds, olive oils and vinegars, spices and herbs, homemade wines and sangrias...but by far, my favorite carts were those with the chocolates...

Rows upon rows of decadent chocolates...covered cakes and pastries, melty bon bons and truffles, little chocolate teacups filled with espresso...the chocolate-covered cherries were so liqueur-ed  that they burned a bit as you sipped the filling around the cherry...the caramels were thick and rich...and Jason had a piece that was some type of chocolate-covered coconut-cream cake that quite literally melted in your mouth.

Even after all our adventures...he still claims that as the best thing he ate the entire trip.

In La Boqueria, we also found our favorite little tapas spot...we wandered in the first day and had such a great experience that when we had a bit of free time the next day that found us back on Las Ramblas...we headed straight there for an afternoon meal.

Plates of tapas, bowls of ensaladas and soupas, lined the bar. The staff was patient with our broken Spainsh...and humored us as we insisted that we try at least one of EVERYTHING. And just when we thought we had tried it all...each item being better than the last...they brought out different plates!!

There were patatas bravas...stuffed mussels...pork skewers with roasted jalapeno peppers...marinated squid... grilled anchovies on a roasted red pepper strip and pinned to slices of thick, soft bread...salads of feta, tomatoes, and chickpeas in a fragrant, rich herb-infused oil...soupas loaded with seafood and shellfish...

Need I go on?

If you can waddle away from the bar (we eventually did)...you can continue your walk, soaking in the sun and incessant Spanish chatter and calls of vendors until you end at the Columbus Monument...a giant statue symbolizing the return of a triumphant Columbus to Spain.

It's architecturally gorgeous, but seriously politically incorrect...with images of the Native Americans that he "brought" back with him, kissing the feet of the Spanish monks and nobles...looking every part as the "uneducated savages" they were profiled as.

It's also rather ironic...the return of Columbus marked the end of Barcelona's heyday as the main port for commerce and trade in Europe. With a new continent to plunder and pillage...all eyes turned away from the East and towards the West...and the ports closest to the Atlantic would take Barcelona's place in history.

Still, it's a beautiful end to your walk...and for only a few Euros, you can ride a small elevator to the top for fabulous views all around Barcelona.

Or, you can just head back up Las Ramblas to try and catch all the sights, sounds, smells, and adventures that you missed on your way down.

You know you want to...

The Trip of a Lifetime...The Hotel Arts, Barcelona

 As you know, my husband and I had the opportunity to travel to Spain this month. He had earned the trip by being one of an elite top 10% of his companies General Managers...and the trip was the companies way of saying: "Thank You for working 80+ hours a week".

The trips are always amazing...we stay in the best hotels, visit the most beautiful places, have access to exclusive excursions and experiences, dine at world famous restaurants with menus specially designed by the worlds best chefs just for us...and it is all FREE...

We started our trip in Barcelona, Spain. We stayed at the Hotel Arts, which is a Ritz-Carlton property...right on the beach by the Mediterranean.

The view from our room...

 There were several things I LOVED about the Hotel Arts...it's very very modern...lots of art and original flower arrangements (i was very fond of the bright purple pussy willows in giant stone pots that lined the hall to the elevators...and felt obligated to touch them every time we walked by...)

In our room were several very modern luxuries as well...like this cool "control panel" by our bed that allowed us to make executive decisions regarding the lighting and ambiance of our room while still beneath the sheets.

There was even a button that alerted the staff if you needed housekeeping or if you wanted to be left alone...all by turning on a light just outside our door...WAY better than hanging that little "Do Not Disturb" sign on our doorknob...

There were bowls of anise seeds placed around the room that gave it a delicious, spicy smell that had a strange (but much appreciated by Jason) effect on me...

 And lastly, I was enamored by the magazine racks. I really think I want some in my bathroom...

 We arrived in Spain in the afternoon, and had a few hours to kill before our presence was required at a Welcome Dinner served poolside. We decided to spend those few hours hunting up some food (we were STARVING) and relaxing by the sea.

So we changed into our beach gear and headed to the sand. We made a quick pit stop at a deli on the boardwalk that ran along the hotel, picked up some delicious bocadillos, and hit the sand.

We knew our whole trip would be busy and jam-packed, so we were really looking forward to this time where we had NOTHING planned but enjoying a Spanish beach by our hotel. We wanted to take lots of pictures...but had trouble taking any that didn't include a naked someone...

...gotta love those European beaches.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time at the beach...and I even remembered to collect several water bottles of sand.

From the beach, you could look back at our beautiful hotel and see a giant sculpture, called "Fish", that was done by Frank Gehry (yes...THE Frank Gehry...of Guggenheim Museum fame)...

The fish sits right over the pool area of the hotel (The Hotel Arts is the tall blue building on the left).

This was a great way to start our trip...after a long and cramped plane ride, and the with the knowledge that this vacation had nothing to do with relaxation, and everything to do about adventure...to sit back and enjoy the perfect 75 degree weather on the icy blue Mediterranean...

...which...by the way...was colder than expected...although not unbearable. I went swimming in the water, turning quick laps through the little bay. I even conned convinced Jason to get in, as well...although he high-tailed out of it after I started splashing him (big baby).

Kissy, kissy!!!