[BARCELONA] — I know I’m in the minority in being a steadfast fan of boutique hotels these days, whilst the rest of you are Airbnb’n, but I still am bullish on the whole hotel experience. In fact, I usually book my vacations around the hotel, often traveling far and wide just to visit a special place. Barcelona has been almost overrun by Airbnbs, so much so that whole apartment buildings are being converted by investors into full-on apartment rentals — much to the scorn of local residents, pushed out by reasonable growing rents. But just before the HomeAway trend hit BCN, a flurry of boutique hotels were built, high on style, funky design and cool restaurants, dramatically increasing this great city’s inventory of cool places
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[COSTA BRAVA, SPAIN] — Here’s a post all about cool things to do Costa Brava. The best boutique hotels in Spain’s Costa Brava. What to do in Costa Brava. And a review Hotel Mas Lazuli. A review of Hotel Castell d’Empordà all about the best things to do in Costa Brava. ____________________________ This is a big, long post about cool things to do in the Cost Brava region of Spain. But hopefully, a good overview to start planning your trip here. I consolidated several previous posts into one comprehensive post for Costa Brava. I haven’t spent a lot of time on the Costa Brava, but passed through here two different times over the span of three months on the way to other places, each time just for
[CATALONIA, SPAIN] — An overview of where to hike in the Spanish Pyrenees and the Val d’Aran. Exploring the Spanish Pyrenees and driving the N260. Overview of Le Seu d’Urgell. Hiking Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park. _____________________________________ So I was sitting in a cool hotel on the edge of the Sahara one day before I was scheduled to fly back to the States. I’d been on the road for a month in Portugal and Morocco, but I wasn’t ready to go back quite yet. So I cancelled my return flight, flew to Barcelona, walked up to the Hertz desk and asked “Can I rent a car for two months?” “Si! Si, Señor!” I had no plan. And a lot of time. I
[MADRID, SPAIN] — There are lots and lots of Madrid guides, so I won’t go into much detail here, just think of this post like an old postcard rack at the train station, look for places that look good, then go find them. These are all my favorite places in Madrid. The Best Things to Do in Madrid, at least the best things to do over a winter weekend in Madrid. I won’t go into much detail here, others have already done it. Just think of this post like a cluttered old postcard rack at the train station. Look for places that look good to you, then go find them. This is a long post, so forgive me. I consolidated a bunch of smaller earlier
[BARCELONA, SPAIN] — There are lots and lots of Barcelona guides, so I won’t go into much detail here, just think of this post like an old postcard rack at the train station, look for places that look good, then go find them. These are all my favorite places in Barcelona. The Best Things to Do in Barcelona, at least the best things to do over a winter weekend in Barcelona. I won’t go into much detail here, others have already done it. Just think of this post like a cluttered old postcard rack at the train station. Look for places that look good to you, then go find them. I’ve been in and out of Barcelona a half dozen times. Sometimes just as an
[BARCELONA] — El Born is a cool, quiet chill neighborhood away from the crazy crowds. It was super quiet when I first started coming to Barcelona in 2011, but has really filled in with many more cool shops, bars and restaurants. Now it’s become super hot and a bit swallowed up by Airbnbs, but still gorgeous. Perfect for walking around in summer or winter. Cool shops, mellow restaurants and beautiful streets. There’s a great little square with four or five outdoor cafes, perfect to just sit and watch Barcelona go by. You should go here. Here’s a good article from TimeOut on what to do in El Born and its trendy neighbor. — Last visited December 2011, May, June, July 2015 —