Coming home after a vacation is such a wonderful feeling! You are back in a familiar place and feel right at home, but then you begin to think about where you will travel to next. You have been a tourist in many unfamiliar places before, but have you ever thought about being a tourist in your own town? Many people have lived in our hometowns their entire lives, so we often take the amazing spots in our hometowns for granted. At Brentwood Travel, we are proud to call St. Louis, Missouri, our home! No matter if you were born and raised or have never been, here are the places you MUST VISIT when you're in STL!

10. Ballpark Village: Located just steps from Busch Stadium, Ballpark Village has a variety of bars and restaurants that will suit everyone! It is the perfect spot for before and after Cardinals games or any night out! With seven different bars under one roof, you can get a night of variety with the convenience of being only a couple of feet away from your next stop.

​9. City Museum: This unique museum is home to many exhibits consisting largely of re-purposed architectural and industrial objects. The City Museum is the perfect place to let your imagination and inner child run wild! If you enjoy heights and thrills, be sure to check out the school bus on the rooftop!

8. Imo's: Nothing is more St. Louis than St. Louis-style pizza! This unique thin crust, square-sliced pizza is something you don't see all over the country, so when you'll want to try it out if you never have!

7. Grant's Farm: This historic farm is built on land given to President Ulysses S. Grant and his wife by his father in law. Today, you can visit Budweiser Clydesdales in-training, feed goats, watch animal shows, or relax in the courtyard for lunch and complimentary Anheuser-Busch products.

6. Ted Drewes: This is one of our favorite places in STL! The line is always worth the wait for the best frozen custard concretes around. Their large menu has something to satisfy every type of sweet tooth. Because of this, Ted Drewes has been a St. Louis classic for 90 years!

5. St. Louis Zoo: What is better than a day at the zoo? A day at a zoo that is FREE to the public! Visit all kinds of animals, from polar bears to prairie dogs to elephants; the St. Louis Zoo has it all!​

4. Anheuser-Busch Brewery: Visit the King of Beers and see how your favorite beer is brewed right in St. Louis. The (FREE) brewery tours are not only educational but also fun! Try freshly brewed samples throughout the tour as well as redeeming your free beer at the end. If you're visiting around the holidays, be sure to stop by the brewery for some of the best light displays around!

3. Cardinals Game: St. Louis has always been the ultimate baseball town! Nothing is better than a beautiful summer evening in Busch Stadium cheering on our team. We recommend trying the loaded nachos while you're there, you won't regret it!

2. Blues Game: We are proud to be the home of the 2019 Stanley Cup Champions! If you are in town during hockey season, make sure to pick up some Blues tickets to watch the boys in action.

1. Gateway Arch: ​The Gateway Arch is the most iconic landmarks in St. Louis. Take a ride to the top to get a breathtaking view of downtown St. Louis, or if heights aren't your thing, walk around the beautiful grounds or cruise around the Mississippi River in a replica 19th century paddle-wheel riverboat.

"When thinking about my plans for 2019, my friend Paige and I decided it was time for another girl’s trip! After narrowing down our options, we decided Costa Rica would be the perfect fit! We both love nature, adventure, beautiful sights, and coffee! The trip certainly exceeded our expectations! Take a look below to see our day by day itinerary and photos from our adventure. 

Paige and I left St. Louis bright and early! After a short layover in Fort Lauderdale, we arrived in San José, Costa Rica and took a transfer to our hotel. We stayed at Xandari Resort and Spa, just north of the city. It was the perfect choice to start our trip! The resort was opened by a couple from California, an architect and artist, who fell in love with Costa Rica and built the resort. The staff was very welcoming and the grounds had so much to offer! The afternoon was very rainy, but we walked the botanical gardens and enjoyed a nice meal before retreating to bed.

Since we had such an early night, we got up bright and early to walk the footpath around the grounds. We saw five waterfalls! The footpath did have some steep inclines, but it was worth it to see the biggest waterfall. We had a wonderful buffet breakfast full of plantains, rice, beans, eggs, and fresh fruits.

Today was dedicated to experiencing one of Costa Rica’s finest exports: COFFEE! Our first tour was Britt Coffee Tour. Britt was actually the first company to offer coffee tours! Our guides were very entertaining and knowledgeable about the process of growing coffee beans, harvesting, roasting, packaging, as well as the best brewing methods. We tried six different coffees on the tour and enjoyed some of their chocolates along the tour. The Tarrazu Monteeielo was my favorite with hints of chocolate and grapefruit. 

​Next, we toured Doka Estate. Doka is the largest coffee plantation in Costa Rica. They grow coffee plants and harvest the beans for both exportation and their own coffee line, Tres Generaciones. On this tour we got to see some of the harvesting process firsthand. It is very early in the season for picking the beans, but there was a small amount that were ripe and had already been collected. We watched the machines sort, wash, peel, and separate the beans. After that process, the beans are all laid out to dry in the sun for a couple of days before they are ready to be packaged and exported. 

We were picked up by our private transfer to Arenal. The private transfer was such a blessing! We could stop for photos or run by a pharmacy for motion sickness medicine (just in case) without having to worry about navigating the roads of Costa Rica. Our driver, Warner, was fantastic at pointing our plants and wildlife. He even pulled over when he noticed another van had stopped to see a sloth outside of La Fortuna! 

In Arenal we stayed at Tabacon Thermal Resort and Spa. I was very excited to stay here as this is a preferred hotel for Brentwood Travel! Since Brentwood Travel is a member of Ensemble, our clients get special perks while staying here! As soon as we arrived at the resort, I was blown away by the beautiful grounds and seamless check in!! Our room was one of the Orchid garden view rooms, perfect for us! It was newly renovated 2 years ago. For a special occasion I would highly recommend a Rainforest room with a soaking tub and balcony with a forest view. Another option would be a Tabacon Suite for an elevated experience! They will both be renovated by the end of 2019!!

Soaking in the hot springs and pool at Tabacon were some highlights of our stay! All throughout the springs there are beautiful gardens, hidden waterfalls, and spots to relax. The spa and adults only Shangri-La Gardens are also tucked away in the hot springs. 

​This afternoon we went to Sky Adventure Park to experience the Sky Limit Adventure Course. Only about 15 minutes from Tabacon, Sky Adventure Park is in the heart of the rain forest with fantastic views. The course combines a high ropes course, zip lines, canyoning, rappelling, Tarzan swing, Tibetan bridges, and ending with a superman zip line over the forest. It was an adrenaline rush and an experience I am sure to remember!

Today in Arenal was a back-to-back adventure day! In the morning we rode by horseback to La Fortuna waterfall. The 500 steps down (and back up) were so worth it. The view of the waterfall was incredible! There are spots to swim or just enjoy the view at the bottom.

In the afternoon we did a guided hike around the Arenal 1968 Lava Flow trail. I love guided hikes because I learn so much about the plants, wildlife, and culture. Our guide was so knowledgeable about Costa Rica and was great at spotting animals. She pointed out some howler monkeys, and we stopped to watch the group of monkeys interact with one another. So often people try to get close to monkeys to feed them and get a great photo, but our guide informed us how that is creating a problem in many areas as monkeys eat food they can’t properly digest and get too close to humans and sometimes steal their stuff! I loved watching the monkeys from a safe distance!

After the hike, we were scheduled to go to Ecotermales Hot Springs. This is another natural Hot Springs in the area. It felt amazing to soak in some springs after an active day! These springs are a bit smaller than Tabacon, but I really liked the atmosphere here as well. 
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Off to the Guanacaste Mountains! We headed to Rio Perdido in the Guanacaste Mountains. I heard about this 'off the beaten path' resort last year and had been dying to visit ever since. All of the rooms are cute little bungalows in the middle of the forest. What is really special about this property is that you really feel the Pura Vida way of life. Pura Vida is Costa Rican slang for ‘pure life’ or ‘simple life’. It’s all about relaxing, reconnecting, enjoying nature, and truly enjoying life. We enjoyed our afternoon relaxing and recouping from our busy last few days. We had a wonderful dinner on property with some dragon fruit gin drinks, as recommended by our fabulous bartender!

We woke up today and participated in the complimentary yoga class. A short walk through the forest led us to the yoga platforms. With the river rushing in the background and the birds chirping, it was the perfect setting for yoga. I’m definitely at the ‘beginner’ stage of yoga, but it didn’t matter! Everyone moved at the level they were comfortable with and it was a great experience. ​​Later in the morning we took a dip in the thermal rivers and enjoyed some time at the pools! One of the neatest animals we saw was this beautiful green iguana. I’m normally more of a fan of a cute fuzzy mammal rather than reptiles, but this little guy was just so beautiful!

That afternoon we decided to go river tubing! There were also options to mountain bike or zip line on site as well. The river tubing was a nice little adrenaline rush and was quite refreshing. I’m so glad that we chose this activity!

After another morning of nature yoga, we had our wonderful buffet breakfast. The homemade bread and delicious fruit here made this my favorite breakfast of the trip! Then we decided to take one of the trails out to the Medicinal Spring. It was bit dried up this time of year, but it was nice to get a little more hiking in on this trip! Plus, we got to play on the hanging bridges a bit!

We packed up and got ready to head to our last destination at the beach! Our home for the next few days was El Mangroove, an Autograph Collection Marriott property. Autograph Collection hotels are special because they are unique in design and ‘thoughtful in spirit.' The moment we pulled up the to property I was really impressed! It was clear they really worked in local design and nature into the property. The long rectangle pool that overlooked the ocean was perfect for an afternoon dip! We also got to see an incredible sunset for our first night at the beach.

Today we ventured a few minutes down the road because we had a day pass at Secrets Papagayo Costa Rica. Our plan was to eat lots of great food, enjoy the beach, and have some fun. This is exactly what we did! I took a tour of the property so I could see some different room types and the venues. The rooms are all built up into the bluffs for some stunning ocean views. I really enjoyed the spa area with a quiet pool and healthy restaurant. Most of the action is on the other side of the beach cove with the main pool, pool bars, restaurants, water activities, and entertainment. There are many activities to participate in, but we decided to spend most of the day relaxing at a beach cabana. We ended our night with dinner at the Asian Restaurant, Himitsu. 

This was our last day to enjoy Costa Rica! We spent the day hanging out at El Mangroove. First, we took out one of their complimentary kayaks into the cove. It was great to finally get out and enjoy the ocean. The water was a beautiful shade of blue and very calm.

​That afternoon we decided to participate in the hotel's 'Leave Your Leaves' program. Together, Paige and I planted a tree that will transferred to a designated area for reforestation. Sustainability is something that is very important to the both of us. We saw how much the country of Costa Rica puts a focus on sustainability and we wanted to be a part of it! We had a little ritual on the beach and then put our tree with the others waiting to be transported. A certificate was printed that has the coordinates of where it will be planted so when we come back to Costa Rica we can actually go visit the tree. This was the perfect activity to end our trip!

​We headed off to Liberia Airport. Although it is such a small airport, it was truly a nice experience. There have a Britt Coffee Shop and loads of shopping opportunities to bring back some goodies! If you are in the Guanacaste area or even Arenal area, it’s worth it to check airfare options that fly out of Liberia!"

- Stacey Hoehne, Supervisor of Leisure Travel

Podcasts. They are perfect for long flights or car rides. All you have to do is download your episodes, put on your headphones, and enjoy. For all of our fellow travel lovers out there, here are our top podcast recommendations and where you can listen to them. Keep reading to find out what we're loving!

Have you been bitten by the travel bug, but don't know where to go? Brentwood Travel can help! Take this quiz to get a preview of some of the amazing destinations that await you. Keep track of your answers and see where you should go down below.
​Then contact a Brentwood Travel agent to make your dream getaway a reality!

Have you ever thought about a trip to Asia? The fall is the perfect time of year to see this breathtakingly beautiful destination. No matter if you want to visit a bustling city or beautiful countrysides, Asia truly has it all!

You're craving some much needed R&R and the Caribbean is the perfect place for that! Nothing is more relaxing than listening to the waves crash while you feel the warmth of the sun's rays. Pack your sunscreen and flip flops and hit the beach!

Art. Culture. History. Europe has it all! Stroll the streets of Rome or enjoy a croissant under the Eiffel Tower. There is so much to see and do in Europe, book a plane ticket and head across the pond now!

Is a safari right up your alley? An adventure awaits you in Africa! Discover the beauty that lies in the rolling plains through an immersive African journey.

​"We had the most fantastic trip to the Paradisus Cancun Resort thanks to Christine Hakenjos and Brentwood Travel’s help. When I started to plan the first family vacation that we’ve had in several years, we weren’t sure where we would go. We just knew we wanted an all-inclusive beach trip that was easy to get to. Christine was so helpful and patient, giving us all kinds of destination options for our family vacation and sending us more information when we changed our mind several times. We eventually ended up finding the perfect spot, the Paradisus Cancun Resort, which was awesome! The upgrade to the Royal Service was incredible and really made our trip!  We enjoyed our time there so much and we are so thankful to Christine for her help. We can’t wait to go back and we will definitely call Christine when we do!" - Karen H.
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Executive Vice-President Stacey Acree sailed Europe on the Celebrity Edge this summer. It was a dream sailing the brand-new ship from Celebrity Cruises. Keep reading to hear all about Stacey’s fabulous trip and see her great photos!

​“After visiting her Inaugural debut and learning that this ship would be traveling to Europe, I knew that this would hit all the marks on my wish list. This beautiful floating high-tech cruise offers some fabulous itineraries to the Caribbean and Europe in the warmer months.  I was even interviewed this past spring by HuffPost for their article “6 Places Travel Experts Are Heading This Summer” and discussed my excitement for this cruise! I wanted to visit Europe, so I was fortunate to preview the debut of the Celebrity Edge. I knew this would be the perfect ship for my summer getaway!

​This itinerary visited the ports of Rome, Naples, Florence, Monte Carlo, Monaco; Cannes, France; Palma De Mallorca, Spain; Barcelona!  Some of the port highlights were visiting the Vatican in Rome, a Mozzarella Farm in Sorrento, walking the ruins of Pompei, strolling around Cannes, eating a wonderful seafood lunch al fresco, enjoying wine and cheese at the Yacht club in Monte Carlo, visiting a perfume factory in Eze, France, and shopping along the way in Spain.

​We found our cabin steward to be one of the best at sea! He made sure we had our stateroom cleaned efficiently in the morning and was always eager to greet us with a smile. Hors d'oeuvres were served every day in the afternoon, and evening service turndown was always provided. It was always nice to know someone was there to greet us.

​This is a NEW concept in Cruising on the Edge. The stateroom provides the comfort of having a comfortable king or you can convert the bed into two twin beds. There was also a charging station for electronic devices and a couch in the room. The drawers had dividers, so it felt like double the space! There was also a lot of storage in the closet and bathroom. We even had a refrigerator in the room. There were two French doors that opened to the deck, which is still part of the room. The Veranda provides 23 percent more living space than the Solstace class ships. You can let the fresh air inside your room by the push of a button.  

​The ship has a French Bistro with a grab and go sandwich café.  By night this turns into an Animated Dining room, where the plates light up and have animated characters – you must experience this! There are four complimentary main restaurants: Normandie, Cosmopolitan, Tuscan and Cyprus. Every restaurant features the same dining option, along with a selection of regional dishes as well.  You will not go hungry from the wide variety of foods on each menu!

We tried many different options from Le Petit Chef, which is fusion with animated entertainment with cuisine. Our rooftop Bar-B-Que was our best meal at sea, with tender ribs to fresh fish cooked to perfection! We enjoyed unique mocktails, infused dishes, and entertainment, such as jugglers at Eden, which was such a unique experience.

Our sailing was hosted by Celebrity Cruises President and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo. We signed up for a unique experience through Celebrity Cruise Lines.  This was a small group, private event, that was hosted as one of the tour options.  We were picked up and transferred to the the Monaco Yacht Club, where we had a private wine and cheese tasting overlooking the harbor. Then we were transferred to a private tour of Prince Ranier and Princess Grace Kelley’s Palace. We learned about the history of how Princess Grace and Prince Ranier met.  We heard about the royals of Monaco while visiting the home – I may just have some secret insider information if you ask me, LOL!  It was an unforgettable fairytale evening.

​An amazing addition to Celebrity Edge is the Magic Carpet, the world’s first cantilevered, floating platform that reaches heights of 13 stories above sea level. It moves between the decks and becomes an extraordinary venue high in the sky where we host mouthwatering experiences such as Dinner on the Edge, a stunning extension of the main pool area, an unforgettable, open-air dining experience, and an extension of modern luxury at The Destination Gateway.

​The experience on this ship starts from the minute you step on board with facial recognition from your passport to your key card.  There are dramatic lounges with open spaces, outdoor rooftop gardens, large windows, and beautiful art sculptures on board, Broadway Entertainment and lots of delicious food and staterooms that are smart with lots of storage options.  Call us to cruise The Edge – you will love this contemporary way to cruise with style!” – Stacey Acree

Clients of Travel Consultant Trish Roth recently returned home from their trip to Jamaica. They had a great time booking their trip with her. Check out their photos and Rave Review below!

"Trish Roth is an amazing travel agent. This is the second time that my girlfriend and I have used her expertise and services to plan a summer vacation. She always provides us with several recommendations on destinations, all-inclusive resorts, and flights as well as suggests excursions that we may enjoy – she asks us questions to determine what we are looking for in our vacation and always follows through to ensure we are getting everything we asked for. Her attention to every detail and aspect of the planning process is appreciated and she always follows up after our vacations to make sure we had a great time and that our expectations were met. We have referred many of our friends and family to her agency as she is simply the best."

- Jamieson C.

The Big Easy. Crescent City. NOLA.
New Orleans, the home of Mardi Gras and Bourbon Street, is a destination that everyone should experience at least once in their life. One of the best things about this city is the food scene! You can find everything from traditional French fare to the best Cajun food around to late night bites open all hours.

Here is your guide of the best eats in NOLA.
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Domilse's Po-Boy & Bar
5240 Annunciation St
BT Staff Must-try: Shrimp Po-Boy
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Central Grocery & Deli
923 Decatur St
​BT Staff Must-Try: Muffuletta
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Big Easy Daiquiri
216 & 501 Bourbon Street
BT Staff Must-try: Peach Bellini

President & CEO Stephanie Turner recently returned from a trip to Greece with Globus. She had a wonderful time revisiting places she loves as well as crossing a destination off of her bucket list. Keep reading to hear all of the details and see  pictures from her amazing trip!
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​Our flight arrived in Athens at 2:15 in the morning. As we left the baggage area, I was elated to see Kostas, our transfer driver holding a sign that said Globus Journeys. He greeted us warmly and escorted us to our private car to take us to our hotel. There was no traffic at that hour, so our ride was uneventful and smooth. When we arrived at the Crowne Plaza  hotel at 3:30 am, the young man at the front desk gave us a warm welcome. I had booked our hotel room for the night before so that it would be ready when we arrived. For some reason he had no reservation for us for that evening – though he did show us having a room for the next night. He was very professional and within a few minutes he had a room for us on a very nice floor.
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The next morning, we got up for our included breakfast with just 10 minutes to spare. Since it was just one floor above us, we zoomed up the stairs. They were starting to clean up, but when I told them we had arrived so late the night before, they told us to come on in and immediately took great care of us from freshly squeezed orange juice and fresh coffee to a variety of breakfast choices. They never pressured us to finish and could not have been more gracious. We decided to just relax that day and sat at the rooftop pool where we met some lovely people from our group. ​That evening we walked a few blocks and had dinner at a nearby local restaurant called Cross. Faye, our waitress was fantastic and she made our first dinner in Athens a special one. We had sea bream, a white fish, and it was amazing! The following evening our friends arrived and that night we had dinner at a local Greek restaurant with one of my Greek on location partners. Sonia, who is so delightful to be with, ordered an array of Greek dishes, and we got to taste many different local specialties. As she is an American-born woman of Greek descent it was interesting to hear her perspective on living in Athens for several months at a time.

The next day the four of us went to the Plaka (old town) and had fun walking the narrow streets and treating ourselves to a cold beverage at a nice restaurant while people watching. We also managed to do a little local shopping. There was so much to choose from.  

That evening we ended up at the Oroscopo restaurant located in a park not far from our hotel. That evening turned out to be spectacular! My friend asked if they served the Greek dish, saganaki. They said they did not but within a few minutes of being seated at our table in the park, a platter of saganaki arrived – compliments of the house. It was such a lovely gesture of welcome. We ordered dinner, which was delicious, and then a complimentary dessert arrived followed by limoncello for all and another after dinner liqueur. We felt like celebrities! Their staff was so kind and gracious. I never told them I was in the travel industry, but I did post how lovely everything was on Facebook and they quickly responded with a thank you. I guess it does pay to say nice things in today’s world where everyone is so quick to post negative comments.

​The following day our Globus tour began. We toured Athens, saw the changing of the guard – which is a beautiful ceremony – visited the site of the modern-day Olympics and climbed the Acropolis to the Parthenon. I had done this before 30 + years ago, but it was exciting to know I could still hike up the steps and hills. It was crowded as this is the height of their tourist season.
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​The next morning, we met Beverly, who would be our tour host for the rest of our journey. She was warm, personable, and everyone immediately loved her. She was originally from South Africa, so her English was easy to understand. Our travel companions in the Globus group were very diverse in age, background, and where they lived, but everyone got along wonderfully, and it was really fun getting to know everyone. Ages ranged from 18 to 82, from a variety of couples to moms or dads with a daughter, to a darling family doing their youngest daughters high school graduation trip, to 3 fun women from California having a girlfriend’s getaway. People were of varying backgrounds and nationalities, which made the group so interesting for each of us. And best of all there were no jerks in the entire group of about 30 people!  
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Back at the Manoulas Beach Hotel we pointed out our luggage and all checked in. We had a lovely room facing the pool and the Aegean Sea. That evening we had a great welcome dinner – another chance for the group to get to know each other. The next two days we were pretty lazy, hanging out at the pool. The sky was deep blue, the sea a bright blue and the white building with their blue trim make Mykonos so desirable to visit. We did take a tour of the island, away from the tourist areas. I had been to Mykonos 5 times before and had never seen this area. It was stark and lovely. We also visited the famous Paradise Beach, just as the party was about to get started. Needless to say, we did not stay for the evening – just enough to check it out.  

​After 3 nights in Mykonos we were off to Santorini, which I had never visited. This island has been on my bucket list and is what motivated me to go to Greece again. It is an island that was broken into pieces by several large volcanic eruptions about 2000 years BC. This is pretty recent in geologic terms. Our hotel, the El Greco, was across the street from the caldera and at night we stood and watched the sunset. Words cannot always express the magnitude of what you are seeing. Basically, a huge portion of the island just sank into the sea. On our first morning we did a walking tour into the town and explored the windy streets. We ended at a restaurant overlooking the area where the cable cars go up and down the mountain and you can see the donkeys climbing the steep hill with tourists on their backs. Some people even walk either up or down the 600 steps to the water. We saw several cruise ships siting in the area tendering their passengers to shore.
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​After 3 glorious days in Santorini and more walking around shopping, we flew back to Athens for our final night. We had an extraordinary farewell dinner by one of the beautiful marinas, and my husband got caught up in the moment and even did his own version of Greek dancing for the group. It was hard to say goodbye to all of our new friends, but we all knew we had created many memories together. Our special thanks to Bev, who mad this trip even more special. I have always said it is about the tour hosts/guides and that is so true. Special thanks also to Globus Journeys and their team who put together this quality but well priced tour. Everyone loved it.
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Clients of Ashley Curry recently returned home from Spain. They had a great time seeing all the beautiful sites Spain has to offer! Keep reading to hear the details of their wonderful trip and to see their pictures!

​"The transportation was perfect! All flights, trains and transfers (nice touch, by the way) were like clockwork. We never had to wait because everything and everyone on time. Having cars waiting to pick us up was a great de-stresser!

The hotel in Madrid was good. The rooms were smallish and our room had A/C issues, but the manager ultimately changed us out of the room after a day or two. The La Latina district was good as well. It was not the best area of Madrid, but convenient. We were able to walk to most places and we felt pretty safe! 

The hop on/off bus was a great call! We used it as much to scope out the city as we did transportation. We got on it in the morning and stayed on it for the whole loop, talking about where we ultimately wanted to see later, then hopped as planned. This was a great way to learn a city. The high-speed train to Barcelona was a fantastic experience! Really puts Amtrak to shame. Mega-comfortable seating, flight attendants, food and drink service, internet, electricity, and super smooth 100+ mph ride. WOW!

The hotel in Barcelona was nearly perfect. It was in a supreme location, just one block off of Las Ramblas, the epicenter of life in the old city. When we checked in we were informed that they upgraded us to a full suite. When we got to the room it was a huge suite in a newly renovated section of the hotel with a private balcony. Really stunning! We ultimately decided the junior suite would better suit us, and it was perfect! A large bedroom, large bathroom with double vanity and large living room with the requisite pull-out couch. The room was on the 3rd floor and the bedroom windows faced the street. The street noise was pretty raucous but the room was fairly quiet.

​We enjoyed the Hop on/off bus so much in Madrid that we did it again in Barcelona. Same way. Did both entire routes, got our bearings then set out to explore sites, among our favorites were Monjuic, Parc Gruell and if course - La Sagrada Familia. There's nothing I can say about La Sagrada Familia in less than 50,000 words so I'll just have to say, "bucket list". An awesome lifetime experience for me. We also toured other Gaudi homes. As was the tour to Montserrat. Our guide, Silvia was awesome! The winery /tapas piece was very nice but we would have opted for more time at the monastery at the expense of the vino. So much so that we actually considered going back in our own the next day. Couldn't pull it off.

Other highlights of the Barcelona leg included sampling many great dishes including Fiduea (Catalan version of paella using noodles instead of rice) botirarra and tomato bread. We also had our farewell dinner at La Barra, a recently Michelin starred restaurant in the W Hotel where we enjoyed among other things - stingray.

Thank you for your help putting this together!"
​- Chris L.