Oh yes, a year after planning my family's first trip to Europe I am planning another trip to Europe this May, but sadly it will not be me who goes on it.
After jokingly suggesting my brother take a trip to Europe, I decided that it was going to happen. I know that sounds rather bossy of me, but my brother, Richard, isn't the type to think about taking a vacation unless it's suggested to him. I asked him where he wanted to go and he mentioned Amsterdam, after hearing me talk about all the yummy food there he said he's been curious ever since.
I started concocting an itinerary right away thinking the United Kingdom and Ireland would be a good addition to round out the trip. Easily accessible from Amsterdam, multiple ways to travel around, stunningly gorgeous landscapes, history familiar to students on an American curriculum, and good hearty food with some locations dabbling with gourmet food that delights.
As I started to debate with myself whether or not more time to explore the Scottish Highlands
and various islands should win over Irish countryside and jaw dropping coastal cliffs,
my brother surprised me by saying he is actually interested in visiting Spain. Turns out, after years of hearing how Spain is one of my favorite countries to visit, the idea of visiting has stuck with him. Oh, and the fact that Daniele will be going with him on this trip probably helped cinch the idea since my minimal travel and food Spanish vocabulary is heaps more than Richard's knowledge of the language. Even if Daniele's language origin is Italian, I noticed how useful he was when we were in Mexico. Hopefully the Spanish used in Spain will be more familiar for him as opposed to the Spanish used in Mexico.
After taking into account their interests and must visit locations, I came up with three distinct travel itineraries and multiple variations of the three. Fortuitously, the best flight plan involved a layover in Ireland, even more fortuitously I noticed flying directly to Dublin, extending the layover to an overnight and then flying Ryanair to Barcelona was actually cheaper and gave them a less rushed time in Dublin. Since they are both not as interested in visiting museums and would rather see more than linger, the final itinerary looks like this:
Locations:
Dublin: Afternoon arrival with an overnight and early evening departure the next day. 2 PM walking tour on afternoon arrival (luckily the airport is not far from the city and transport between the two is very easy) to get oriented and and an idea of what to see the next day. Evening of pubs and Irish food.
Barcelona: Pintxos for an evening arrival. Two relaxed days to see the highlights and evenings to enjoy the food. Reservations for Tickets Bar. Overnight train to Granada.
Granada: Morning arrival to Granada with mid-morning reservations for Nasrid Palace and Alhambra. Tapas and explore the Albaicin.
Cordoba: Day trip from Granada for the Mezquita, May flowers decorating the patios, and the convergence of three religions. Evening train to Madrid.
Madrid: Four nights and four days. One day trip to Segovia and one day trip to Toledo. Evening flight to Brussels.
Brussels: Two nights and one and a half days. On the full day take a day trip to Bruges. Half day take a walking tour of Brussels to see highlights. Evenings enjoy the food and beer. Bus to Amsterdam.
Amsterdam: Three nights, two days for a relaxing end to the trip!
I feel like it's a good mix, if not a little heavy on medieval towns towards the end of the trip, but at least medieval Belgium and medieval central Spain are different from each other. Of course fans of each location can argue that it's too little time for certain locations, but Daniele and Richard both agreed that for this trip they'd rather see more and a lack of interest in going to museums frees up a lot of time.
Food:
I keep telling them both that they are going to have a such a delicious trip. I'm jealous of all the good food they are going to eat. I love Irish food, and their potatoes are second to none in my opinion.
Catalan food is sophisticated, with so many top restaurants in the region, anyone would be spoilt in choice for food. The moment I found out Ferran and Albert Adria opened a tapas bar in Barcelona, it has been my priority to make a reservation at Tickets. Andalusian cuisine is what many typically think of as quintessential Spanish cuisine, with Moorish influences straight out of Morocco. While central Spain is very hearty with an emphasis on meats, a legacy of their medieval heritage.
Brussels will delight with it's mix of French decadence and German and Dutch heartiness. While Amsterdam is rich in street food for munching on when the whim strikes. Both Daniele and Richard have had visions of frites, stroopwafel, and croquettes dancing in their heads.
Accommodations:
Not surprisingly, Airbnb has been a top resource for finding well located accommodations with good amenities and fair prices. Almost every location I've booked an apartment for Richard and Daniele (having separate sleeping areas is much more private than what most European hotels promise), but there are exceptions. I was surprised to find hotels in Dublin are actually more affordable than apartments for two to three people. After visiting before, I remembered how expensive hotels are in Dublin, but it seems the renters in the city have taken that to mean they can charge more for their accommodations as well. The other exception is small towns in Spain. The more touristic towns already have a lot of variety in accommodations in the most sought after areas, making their locations hard to beat. Add the fact that smaller towns are more conducive to meeting people, and having conversation with other travelers is enjoyable when the pace of life is slower. Renting an apartment can feel isolating in this instance. I actually even recommend booking a private room in a hostel in these situations. I discovered during my solo trip how prevalent renting private rooms in hostels are in Spain for all ages. A lot are family run and very well taken care of, almost like a B&B rather than a hostel. Often you can find hostels located in fascinating buildings. Often mansions become neglected and then remodeled into hostels.
I'm still working on the details of the trip, but all of this planning has made me nostalgic and every day I find myself craving tapas!
After jokingly suggesting my brother take a trip to Europe, I decided that it was going to happen. I know that sounds rather bossy of me, but my brother, Richard, isn't the type to think about taking a vacation unless it's suggested to him. I asked him where he wanted to go and he mentioned Amsterdam, after hearing me talk about all the yummy food there he said he's been curious ever since.
I started concocting an itinerary right away thinking the United Kingdom and Ireland would be a good addition to round out the trip. Easily accessible from Amsterdam, multiple ways to travel around, stunningly gorgeous landscapes, history familiar to students on an American curriculum, and good hearty food with some locations dabbling with gourmet food that delights.
As I started to debate with myself whether or not more time to explore the Scottish Highlands
 |
| Cliffs of Moher |
my brother surprised me by saying he is actually interested in visiting Spain. Turns out, after years of hearing how Spain is one of my favorite countries to visit, the idea of visiting has stuck with him. Oh, and the fact that Daniele will be going with him on this trip probably helped cinch the idea since my minimal travel and food Spanish vocabulary is heaps more than Richard's knowledge of the language. Even if Daniele's language origin is Italian, I noticed how useful he was when we were in Mexico. Hopefully the Spanish used in Spain will be more familiar for him as opposed to the Spanish used in Mexico.
After taking into account their interests and must visit locations, I came up with three distinct travel itineraries and multiple variations of the three. Fortuitously, the best flight plan involved a layover in Ireland, even more fortuitously I noticed flying directly to Dublin, extending the layover to an overnight and then flying Ryanair to Barcelona was actually cheaper and gave them a less rushed time in Dublin. Since they are both not as interested in visiting museums and would rather see more than linger, the final itinerary looks like this:
Locations:
Dublin: Afternoon arrival with an overnight and early evening departure the next day. 2 PM walking tour on afternoon arrival (luckily the airport is not far from the city and transport between the two is very easy) to get oriented and and an idea of what to see the next day. Evening of pubs and Irish food.
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| Long Hall Pub |
Barcelona: Pintxos for an evening arrival. Two relaxed days to see the highlights and evenings to enjoy the food. Reservations for Tickets Bar. Overnight train to Granada.
Granada: Morning arrival to Granada with mid-morning reservations for Nasrid Palace and Alhambra. Tapas and explore the Albaicin.
Cordoba: Day trip from Granada for the Mezquita, May flowers decorating the patios, and the convergence of three religions. Evening train to Madrid.
Madrid: Four nights and four days. One day trip to Segovia and one day trip to Toledo. Evening flight to Brussels.
Brussels: Two nights and one and a half days. On the full day take a day trip to Bruges. Half day take a walking tour of Brussels to see highlights. Evenings enjoy the food and beer. Bus to Amsterdam.
Amsterdam: Three nights, two days for a relaxing end to the trip!
I feel like it's a good mix, if not a little heavy on medieval towns towards the end of the trip, but at least medieval Belgium and medieval central Spain are different from each other. Of course fans of each location can argue that it's too little time for certain locations, but Daniele and Richard both agreed that for this trip they'd rather see more and a lack of interest in going to museums frees up a lot of time.
Food:
I keep telling them both that they are going to have a such a delicious trip. I'm jealous of all the good food they are going to eat. I love Irish food, and their potatoes are second to none in my opinion.
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| Guinness |
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| Roast Beef Sandwich |
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| Bangers And Mash |
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| Chocolate Con Churros |
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| Jamon Iberico |
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| Stuffed Piquillo Peppers |
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| Poffertjes |
Accommodations:
Not surprisingly, Airbnb has been a top resource for finding well located accommodations with good amenities and fair prices. Almost every location I've booked an apartment for Richard and Daniele (having separate sleeping areas is much more private than what most European hotels promise), but there are exceptions. I was surprised to find hotels in Dublin are actually more affordable than apartments for two to three people. After visiting before, I remembered how expensive hotels are in Dublin, but it seems the renters in the city have taken that to mean they can charge more for their accommodations as well. The other exception is small towns in Spain. The more touristic towns already have a lot of variety in accommodations in the most sought after areas, making their locations hard to beat. Add the fact that smaller towns are more conducive to meeting people, and having conversation with other travelers is enjoyable when the pace of life is slower. Renting an apartment can feel isolating in this instance. I actually even recommend booking a private room in a hostel in these situations. I discovered during my solo trip how prevalent renting private rooms in hostels are in Spain for all ages. A lot are family run and very well taken care of, almost like a B&B rather than a hostel. Often you can find hostels located in fascinating buildings. Often mansions become neglected and then remodeled into hostels.
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| A Hostel I Stayed In While In Spain |
I'm still working on the details of the trip, but all of this planning has made me nostalgic and every day I find myself craving tapas!
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